THE MAJOR DECISIONS
THAT LED TO THE FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTS
The creation of the French Atomic Energy Commissariat by General de Ganlle’s ordinance
of October kK. 1945 was the fitst step in the process that was to tead France to the rank of a nucicar
power, Subsequently several Governments of the Fourth Republic, recognizing the mportance of
cqupping France with atomic weapons, took some major steps in that direction an particular. the
decision adopted in principle at the beginning of 1958 by the President of the Council of Ministers,
Tex Gaitlard, to build and test.a plutonium bomb in £960.
On July 22,1958 a decision was madetoset the first quarter of 1960 as the date for France's
first nuclear test eaplosion. The explosion actually took place on February 13, 1960 at Reggane in
the Sahara. Two consecutive military appropriations bills, for 1960-64 and 1965-70, were adopted
by Parliament and enabled France to build the nuclear weapons needed to equip her deterrent force.
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The first generation of those nuclear weapons is operational and consists of fission bombs
carried by the Mirage IV, a supersonic bomber (Mach 2.2), These weapons are derived from the
experimental atmospheric devices fired in 1960 and 1961 at Reggane in the Sahara.
The secondgeneration of the weapons, contained in the second appropriations bill, is a ballistic missile: it is designed for the French nuclear submarines ind will be armed with a nuclear warhead.
Between these two generations, a medium-yield weapon is planned to maintain the French
deterrent force at a level sufficient to insure the country’s security between the time when the deterrent capability of the Miraze [V aircraft may be reduced and that when the nuclear submarine
becomes operational,
France's first program of atmospheric atomic tests was completed on April 25, 1961. Since
that date, underground tests cxclusively have been conductedat In-Ecker in the Hoggar region of the
Sahara, Through these tests has been gathered the information necessary for continuing the French
nuclear Weapons program,
The intermediate weapons and the second-generation weapon now remain to be built. The
corresponding studies ure very advanced and have to be checked out by testing. The only suitable
place for this testing is the vast maritime expanses of French Polynesia. There, the populated islands
are so dispersed and yhe incteorological conditions are such that nuclear test explosions can be con:
ducted under security conditions satstactory for both the testers and the populations
Phair WEN the Preneh feemeromentk cided a P96) tosctap the Paci
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