NPT Nuclear Weapon State

Arsenal Size

Active Nuclear Warheads: Estimated 300 total; approximately 290 operational. No reserve [1]

• 240 (TN75) on SLBMs carried by SSBNs [2]
• 20 (TNA) on medium-range air-to-surface cruise missiles carried by Mirage 2000N [3]
• 20 (TNA) on medium-range air-to-surface cruise missiles carried by Rafale F3: [4]
• 10 (TNA) on medium-range air-to-surface cruise missiles carried by Rafale MF3 [5]

Key Delivery Systems

• SLBMs (M45 and M51.1) carried by SSBNs[6]
• Medium-range air-to-surface cruise missiles (ASMPA) on Mirage 2000N, Rafale F3, and Rafale MF3 aircraft.[7]

Estimated Destructive Power

• Between 34.2 and 43.8 megatons [8]

Military Fissile Material Stockpiles (estimates)

• Weapons grade plutonium: Estimated at 6t. [9]
• HEU:  30.6 ± 6t [10]

Disarmament and Commitments to Reduce Arsenal Size

• Legal obligation to pursue global disarmament under Article VI of the NPT.[11]
• Presumably disassembled 175 warheads associated with four systems removed from service.[12]
• Then-President Chirac's new nuclear plans for 1997 to 2002, announced in February 1996, resulted in dismantling several weapon systems.[13]
• Reduced its nuclear arsenal by half in the fifteen years from 1996 to 2012. [14]
• No nuclear weapons in reserve.[15]
• Cessation of plutonium production in 1992, and of highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons in 1996 [16]
• Decided to shut down and dismantle two of its military facilities used for fissile material production; Pierrelatte and Maroule [17]
• Completely dismantled its ground-to-ground nuclear component by 2008.[18]
• Voluntarily reduced the number of its missile launching nuclear submarines in service by one-third.[19]
• In his speech given on March 21, 2008, then President Nicolas Sarkozy announced a cut of one-third of the air-based nuclear weapons including missiles and aircraft. This has brought the number of nuclear warheads to less than 300.[20]

Future Commitments

• In support of negotiating verifiable FMCT. The treaty should not cover existing stockpiles.[21]
• Since France just completed a reduction of one-third of its nuclear arsenal, the indication is that France will refuse to further reduce its arsenal in the near future. [22] France claims its nuclear arsenal is now at a level of "strict sufficiency" – the lowest level possible to maintain strategic security. [23]

Nuclear Weapons Policies

Nuclear testing

• Last test on January 27, 1996 at Fangataufa (South Pacific)[24]
• March 26, 1996: signature of the Rarotonga Treaty, creating a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone in the South Pacific (in force since September 20, 1996)[25]
• Signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (ratification deposited April 6, 1998).[26]

Use of nuclear weapons

• Retains first use policy.[27]
• Negative Security Assurances to NWFZ treaty members: Committed not to use nuclear weapons against state parties to the Tlatelolco, Pelindaba, and Rarotonga treaties. Has not yet signed the protocol to the Bangkok Treaty.[28]
• Acknowledged the commitments of the NWS to negative security assurances in UN Security Council Resolution 984 (1995).[29]
• Absolute guarantee of no use or threat of use of nuclear weapons except in an extreme circumstance of legitimate self-defense.[30]

Sources:
[1] Hans Kristensen, "Assuring Destruction Forever," Reaching Critical Will, 2012, pp. 27-33, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[2] Hans Kristensen, "Assuring Destruction Forever," Reaching Critical Will, 2012, pp. 27-33, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[3] Hans Kristensen, "Assuring Destruction Forever," Reaching Critical Will, 2012, pp. 27-33, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[4] Hans Kristensen, "Assuring Destruction Forever," Reaching Critical Will, 2012, pp. 27-33, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[5] Hans Kristensen, "Assuring Destruction Forever," Reaching Critical Will, 2012, pp. 27-33, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[6] Hans Kristensen, "Assuring Destruction Forever," Reaching Critical Will, 2012, pp. 27-33, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[7] The ASMPA is a modernized air-to-surface missile that began replacing the ASMP missiles in 2009. Hans Kristensen, "Assuring Destruction Forever," Reaching Critical Will, 2012, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[8] (300kt yield on each ASMPA warhead × 1 warhead per ASMPA × 50 operational ASMPA cruise missiles = 15 megaton yield from cruise missiles) + (100kt yield on each SLBM warhead × 4-6 warheads per SLBM (M45 and M51.1) × 48 SLBMs = 19.2 megaton to 28.8 megaton yield from SLBMs), total yield 34.2-43.8 megatons; Hans Kristensen, "Assuring Destruction Forever," Reaching Critical Will, 2012, pp. 27-33, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[9] International Panel on Fissile Materials, Global Fissile Material Report 2011, www.fissilematerials.org.
[10] International Panel on Fissile Materials, Global Fissile Material Report 2011, www.fissilematerials.org.
[11] Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations & Regimes, www.nti.org.
[12] Robert S. Norris and Hans M. Kristensen, "French Nuclear Forces, 2008," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Vol. 64, No. 4, September/October 2008, thebulletin.metapress.com
[13] Robert S. Norris and Hans M. Kristensen, "French Nuclear Forces, 2008," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Vol. 64, No. 4, September/October 2008, thebulletin.metapress.com
[14] Nuclear Disarmament: Statement by the Head of the French Delegation, First Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2015 NPT Review Conference, 3 May 2012, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[15] Nuclear disarmament: France's practical commitment, Working paper submitted by France to the 2010 NPT Review Conference, 14 April 2010, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[16] Nuclear disarmament: France's practical commitment, Working paper submitted by France to the 2010 NPT Review Conference, 14 April 2010, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[17] "France organized a visit of its former military facilities at Pierrelatte and Maroule," French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and French Ministry of Defence, 18 December 2008, www.diplomatie.gouv.fr.
[18] Nuclear disarmament: France's practical commitment, "Dismantling the Ground-to-Ground Component," Working paper submitted by France to the 2010 NPT Review Conference, 14 April 2010, www.franceonu.org.
[19] Nuclear disarmament: France's practical commitment, Working paper submitted by France to the 2010 NPT Review Conference, 14 April 2010, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[20] Presentation of SSBM "Le Terrible," Speech by M. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France, Cherbourg, 21 March 2008, www.ambafrance-uk.org.
[21] Conference on Disarmament Starts Thematic Debate on Issue of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, 16 May 2006, www.reachingcriticalwill.org
[22] Hans Kristensen, "Assuring Destruction Forever," Reaching Critical Will, 2012, pages 27-33, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[23] Statement by the Head of the French Delegation, First Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2015 NPT Review Conference, 3 May 2012, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[24] CTBTO website, Nuclear Testing page, www.ctbto.org.
[25] NTI Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Tutorial Protocol Chart, www.nti.org.
[26] Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations & Regimes, www.nti.org.
[27] French Statement at Main Committee I of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[28] Statement by the Head of the French Delegation, First Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2015 NPT Review Conference, 3 May 2012, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
[29] International Organizations and Nonproliferation Program (IONP), "Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (NWFZ) Clearinghouse," James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, www.cns.miis.edu/nwfz_clearinghouse/.
[30] French Statement at Main Committee I of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, www.reachingcriticalwill.org.