France is buying 70 M-51 SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missiles), at a cost of about $60 million each. The 40 ton missile carries six 100 kiloton nuclear warheads and has a range of 11,000 kilometers. The M-51 is of a new design, the third generation of French SLBMs. France has four SSBNs carrying 16 SLBMs each. Production on the M-51 began last year, and the M-51 will have replaced the current M-45 and M-4 SLBMs by the end of the decade.
