The General Directorate of Armaments of the French Ministry of Armed Forces is studying a project for an advanced ballistic missile with a potential range exceeding 1,000 km, according to Challenges magazine, Report informs via TASS.
Sources indicated that discussion of this initiative has intensified following the use of ballistic missiles in various combat zones worldwide, particularly in Ukraine.
Special attention is being paid to Russia's strike on a Ukrainian military facility using the newest medium-range ballistic missile "Oreshnik."
In this context, the publication quotes from a report by Francois Cormier-Bouligeon, head of the parliamentary defense committee.
"The conflict in Ukraine and Iran's recent strikes on Israel remind us that long-range strike capabilities, such as ground-based ballistic missiles, are strategic weapons for our competitors," he states.
The new ballistic missile's range is expected to exceed that of the American PrSM (Precision Strike Missile), which is set to replace ATACMS. Previously, it was reported that PrSM's initial planned range was 499 km, with the possibility of more than doubling in subsequent development stages.
Additionally, the prospective French missile should have maneuvering capabilities in its final flight phase, making it "practically impossible" to intercept by air defense systems.
The magazine notes that Iranian Fattah missiles possess similar capabilities, which proved effective in penetrating layered air defense systems during Iran's strike on Israel in early October. The development might be assigned to Ariane Group, which created Ariane launch vehicles.
The company previously developed the M51 submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missile and is currently working on the VMAX project - a hypersonic glider demonstrator that made its first flight in 2023.