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1st Strategic Missiles Groupment (France)
The 1st Strategic Missiles Groupment () is a former unit of the Strategic Air Forces of the French Air and Space Force. History The 1st SMG was formed in September 1968 as the land component of the French nuclear triad (together with the Navy's Redoutable-class ballistic nuclear submarines and the Air Force's fleet of Dassault Mirage IV nuclear bombers). The 1st SMG was an army unit armed with 18 S2 strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. It was based on the Plateau d'Albion in the southeast of France. The group reached operational readiness with its S2 missiles on 2 August 1971. The 18 missiles were split in two batteries (of 9 silos each), officially called "firing units" (''unités de tir''), which were formed respectively in 1970 and in 1972. The first battery was taken off duty in April 1978 in anticipation of the replacement of the S2s with the new S3 ballistic missiles; the modernization of the infrastructure for fielding of the new system commenced at the end of that ye ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roundel Of France
A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of different colours. Other symbols also often use round shapes. Heraldry In heraldry, a ''roundel'' is a circular charge (heraldry), charge. ''Roundels'' are among the oldest charges used in coat of arms, coats of arms, dating from at least the twelfth century. Roundels in British heraldry have different names depending on their tincture (heraldry), tincture. Thus, while a roundel may be blazoned by its tincture, e.g., ''a roundel vert'' (literally "a roundel green"), it is more often described by a single word, in this case ''pomme'' (literally "apple", from the French) or, from the same origins, ''pomeis''—as in "Vert; on a cross Or five pomeis" (a green field with a golden/yellow cross on which are drawn five green roundels/circles). One s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plateau D'Albion
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides have deep hills or escarpments. Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, and erosion by water and glaciers. Plateaus are classified according to their surrounding environment as intermontane, piedmont, or continental. A few plateaus may have a small flat top while others have wider ones. Formation Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, plate tectonics movements, and erosion by water and glaciers. Volcanic Volcanic plateaus are produced by volcanic activity. They may be formed by upwelling of volcanic magma or extrusion of lava. The underlining mechanism in forming plateaus from up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Military Units And Formations Of The French Air And Space Force
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily Weapon, armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a distinct military uniform. They may consist of one or more military branches such as an army, navy, air force, space force, marines, or coast guard. The main task of a military is usually defined as defence of their state and its interests against external armed threats. In broad usage, the terms "armed forces" and "military" are often synonymous, although in technical usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country's armed forces may include other paramilitary forces such as armed police. Beyond warfare, the military may be employed in additional sanctioned and non-sanctioned functions within the state, including internal security threats, crowd control, promotion of political agendas, emergency services and reconstructi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Escadres Of The French Air Force
This is a list of Escadres (Wings) of the French Air and Space Force. Escadres (wings) are commanded by a Lieutenant-colonel or Colonel, known as the "Chief de corps". The term Escadre replaced "regiment" in 1932. Until 1994, it meant a unit composed of several squadron-sized units (Escadron/Squadron or Groups), generally equipped with the same type of equipment, or at least the same type of mission (e.g. fighter, reconnaissance, bombing, transport) as well as wing maintenance and support units or sub-units. Between 1993 and 1995, under the « Armées 2000 » reorganisation, the Escadre (wing) level of command was withdrawn from use. In 2014 it was reintroduced, with additions.Nouvelles escadres aériennes : une cohérence opérationnelle accrue, des valeurs renforcées. Site de l'Armée de l'air consulté le 24 août 2015. http://www.defense.gouv.fr/air/actus-air/nouvelles-escadres-aeriennes-une-coherence-operationnelle-accrue-des-valeurs-renforcees. Former and active French Air ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995. After attending the , Chirac began his career as a high-level civil servant, entering politics shortly thereafter. Chirac occupied various senior positions, including minister of agriculture and minister of the interior. In 1981 and 1988, he unsuccessfully ran for president as the standard-bearer for the conservative Gaullist party Rally for the Republic (RPR). Chirac's internal policies initially included lower tax rates, the removal of price controls, strong punishment for crime and terrorism, and business privatisation. After pursuing these policies in his second term as prime minister, Chirac changed his views. He argued for different economic policies and was elected president in 1995, with 52.6% of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
M51 (missile)
The M51 SLBM is a French submarine-launched ballistic missile, built by ArianeGroup, and deployed with the French Navy. Designed to replace the M45 (missile), M45 SLBM (in French terminology the MSBS – ''Mer-Sol-Balistique-Stratégique'' "Sea-ground-Strategic ballistic"), it was first deployed in 2010. Each missile carries six to ten Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle, independently targetable TN 75 thermonuclear warheads. The three-stage engine of the M51 is directly derived from the solid propellant boosters of Ariane 5. Like other blunt-nosed SLBM examples, such as the Trident D5, the M51 uses an drag-reducing aerospike, extensible aerospike in the nose. The missiles are a compromise over the M5 SLBM design, which was to have a range of and carry ten new-generation ''tête nucléaire océanique'' ("oceanic nuclear warhead") MIRVs. Design work on the M5 started in the late 1980s by Aérospatiale, before the programme was renamed the M51 in 1996, when developme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crotale (missile)
The Crotale ( English: "Pit Viper" or "Rattlesnake") is a French, all-weather, SHORAD surface-to-air missile system developed to intercept airborne ranged weapons and aircraft, from cruise or anti-ship missiles to helicopters, UAVs or low-flying high-performance fighter aircraft. It was developed by Thomson CSF Matra (now Thales Group) and consists of a mobile land-based variant as well as various naval ones. Development Originally the Crotale R440 system was developed by Rockwell International and Thomson-Houston (and Mistral) in France for South Africa, where it was named Cactus. However, the achievements of the system impressed the French Armed Forces, who purchased the system both for the air force and for the navy. The French Air Force utilized a 4x4 wheeled vehicle developed by Hotchkiss et Cie, the P4R, armed with four missiles. A more mobile system to protect ground forces was mounted on the chassis of the French AMX-30 main battle tank. This was adopted with a lar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plateau Albion Silos Carte Topographique
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides have deep hills or escarpments. Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, and erosion by water and glaciers. Plateaus are classified according to their surrounding environment as intermontane, piedmont, or continental. A few plateaus may have a small flat top while others have wider ones. Formation Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, plate tectonics movements, and erosion by water and glaciers. Volcanic Volcanic plateaus are produced by volcanic activity. They may be formed by upwelling of volcanic magma or extrusion of lava. The underlining mechanism in forming plateaus from up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
S3 (missile)
The S3 was a French land-based intermediate-range ballistic missile, equipped with a single 1.2- megatonne thermonuclear warhead. In France it is called an SSBS, for ''Sol-Sol Balistique Stratégique'', or Ground-Ground Strategic Ballistic Missile. Design The S3 is a two-stage, solid-propellant intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). The first stage was inherited from the S2, with a P16 solid fuel engine and 4 exhausts. The first stage carries of fuel and burns for 72 seconds. The second stage carries and burns for 58 seconds. The nuclear warhead, a single 1.2 Mt TN 61, is hardened and carries penetration aids. Operational history From 1971, the main land-based component of the French nuclear deterrent ('' force de dissuasion'') was the S2 missile. In 1973, a programme was started to develop a second-generation "ground-ground ballistic strategic" (SSBS in French) missile, completed in 1980. Two groups totaling 18 S2 missile silos were upgraded to the S3 st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ballistic Missile
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typically stay within the Earth's atmosphere, while most larger missiles travel outside the atmosphere. The type of ballistic missile with the greatest range is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The largest ICBMs are capable of full orbital flight. These missiles are in a distinct category from cruise missiles, which are aerodynamically guided in powered flight and thus restricted to the atmosphere. History One modern pioneer ballistic missile was the A-4, commonly known as the V-2, developed by Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s under the direction of Wernher von Braun. The first successful launch of a V-2 was on October 3, 1942, and it began operation on September 6, 1944, against Paris, followed by an attack on London two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Air And Space Force
The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the French Air Force (). On 10 September 2020, it assumed its current name, the French Air and Space Force, to reflect an "evolution of its mission" into the area of outer space. The number of aircraft in service with the French Air and Space Force varies depending on the source; the Ministry of Armed Forces gives a figure of 658 aircraft in 2014. According to 2025 data, this figure includes 207 combat aircraft: 99 Dassault Mirage 2000 and 108 Dassault Rafale. the French Air and Space Force employs a total of 40,500 regular personnel, with a reserve element of 5,187 in 2014. The Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force (CEMAAE) is a direct subordinate of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CEMA), a high-ranking military officer who in turn ans ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
S2 (missile)
The S2 was the first deployed French land-based strategic missile, equipped with a single nuclear warhead of 120 kilotonnes. In French it is called a , (''SSBS'' or " ground-ground strategic ballistic missile"). The S2 was a two-stage, solid-propellant medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). Operational history Deployed in 1971, the main land-based component of the French nuclear deterrent () was the S2 missile, rounding out their strategic nuclear triad along with air and submarine assets. Two groups totalling 18 S2 missile silos were deployed at Apt-Saint-Christol airbase, on thPlateau d'Albionin the Vaucluse region. The S2 was replaced by the S3 SSBS in the early 1980s. See also * Nuclear proliferation * France and weapons of mass destruction * Force de dissuasion The ''Force de dissuasion'' (), known as the ''Force de frappe'' ('Strike Force') prior to 1961,Gunston, Bill. Bombers of the West. New York: Charles Scribner's and Sons; 1973. p104 is the French nuclea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
