This is in addition to the plan with a land-based cruise missile of a similar range, the Land Cruise Missile, in framework of the ELSA project. And this is a direct reaction to the russian federation’s demonstration of a medium-range ballistic missile by striking the Dnipro City.
The French publication Challenges learned about this plan, which noted that at present it is only a discussion of the project between the command of the French Armed Forces and the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA). It is reported that the project involves launching a missile from a ground-based launcher, actively maneuvering the missile in the terminal area before hitting the target, and having the missile equipped with means to penetrate the enemy's missile defenses.
Read more: If russia Threatens With RS-26 Rubezh, the U.S. Must Provide SM-6 Missiles
On the part of Defense Express, we note that in this case we are talking about a fairly standard set of technologies. At least for now there is no evidence of the French desire to develop a hypersonic glider, as in the American LRHW for $ 41 million. This may mean that the result can be obtained faster.
At the same time, the possible range of the missile of 1000 km may indicate that in this case we are talking about a missile that is not very large. This may indicate a lower cost of development, a lower price per unit and, as a result, the possibility of manufacturing a larger number of missiles. At the same time, 1000 km is quite a sufficient parameter, because the use of this missile, for example, from the territory of the Baltic countries, can make it possible to hit objects not only in Moscow, but also in Nizhny Novgorod on the Volga river.
It is worth adding to this that France is a nuclear country, and such missiles can also be carriers of a nuclear warhead.
It should be noted that the French can spend years on the development of a new missile - even if the French follow the most pragmatic path and take as a basis existing technological solutions, for example, from the M51 intercontinental ballistic missile for submarines.
Defense Express reported earlier on How Many Storm Shadow / SCALP Missiles the UK, France, and Others Had. We also wrote, that NATO Declared the Need for Strikes on russia in Case of an Attack.
Read more: What is the RS-26 Rubezh Intermediate-Range Missile and Can the russians Really Launch It
