Rafale nuclear sting: France has tested a medium-range missile asmpa-R (photo)

The French winged rocket "Air-Earth" is able to strike up to 500 km. In this case, the weight of its thermonuclear warhead is 300 kiloton. The French military conducted successful tests of a new version of the winged air base with a nuclear combat unit of ASMPA (Air-Sol Moyenne Portée Amélioré). On May 22, the Minister of Defense of the country Sebastian Lecorton in X (Twitter) declared it.

The rocket was launched from the Rafale fighter owned by the French strategic air forces during a flight that mimic the typical raid mission. In this case, the ASMPA test launch was without payload. According to the head of the defense department, the tests were planned for a long time and implements the ambitions of France, provided by the military program for nuclear restraint, and also demonstrates "perfection and reliability in operation.

" ASMP is a French nuclear wing of medium -range "air - surface", developed by MBDA France. She came into service in May 1986, replacing an outdated An-22 bomb on French aircraft Dassault Miraage IV and An-52 bomb on Dassault Super étendard. The ASMP platform is Dassault Mirage 2000n, Dassault Rafale and Super étendard. Miraage IVP was also equipped with ASMP for arms removal in 1996. The upgraded version of ASMP-A can boast of a range of about 500 km and a maximum speed of up to 3 strokes.

It is equipped with a new co -coin warhead of Tête nucléaire aéroportée (TNA) 300 kilotonic. The ASMP-A was armed in October 2009 with Miraage 2000nk3. In turn, the ASMPA-R project, started in 2016, aimed at increasing the rocket flight range and equipment of 300 kilotonic with a new thermonuclear warhead. We will remind, President Emmanuel Macron at a briefing on May 6 stated that France did not seek to change the Russian regime and does not fight with the Russian Federation.