Gerboise Bleue-|Reggane|

Date: 07:04 UTC 13/02/1960 Type: Tower @105m Yield: 65kt The first French test, Gerboise Bleue was a surface shot fired atop a 105m tower in Reganne Algeria. The device was a prototype for the AN-11 warhead deployed three years later, used plutonium and had the highest yield for any countries first test. General Ailleret personally activated the firing switch for the detonation of the device. The name of the test originates from the Gerboise (jerboa), a desert rodent, while blue is the first color of the French tricolor flag. The AN-11 was the first nuclear weapon to be stockpiled by the French. A pure fission weapon with a 60 kilotons yield, it entered service in 1963; only 40 were made before being replaced by the AN-22 in 1967.

Gerboise Blanche-|Reggane|

Date: 06:17 UTC 01/04/1960 Type: Surface Yield: 10kt The second French test, Gerboise Blanche was a surface shot fired in a seven meter deep pit, which accounted for the strange, Christmas tree-like shape of the fireball. Security was much lighter for this test as opposed to the Gerboiuse Bleue shot. General Ailleret once again personally initiated the firing of the device. The crater the shot produced which was later filled in.

Béryl-|In Ecker|

Date: 10:00 UTC 01/05/1962 Type: Underground @-?m Yield: 40kt Béryl was a test of a prototype AN-11 bomb. Fired as part of a series of 13 underground nuclear tests conducted at In Ecker between 1961 and 1966 in the Algerian Sahara. A spiral shaped tunnel drilled into the mountain for the shot, designed to self-seal before any material could reach the surface. This system failed and 5-10% of the explosion's radioactive products escaped in the form of lava, aerosols and gases which formed a cloud which reached 2600m and spread 150km downwind. Several hundred personnel including two government ministers were exposed to the contamination as well as an unknown number of Algerians.

Aldebaran-|Mururoa|
	Date: 15:34 UTC 02/07/1966 Type: Barge Yield: 28kt This was France's first Pacific nuclear test, using the M-50 device which went on to be deployed as the AN-51 and AN-52 tactical warheads. Un-predicted weather conditions and the fact that it was a suface shot, caused significant radioactive contamination of the Mururoa Atoll.

Arcturus-|Mururoa|

Date: 17:30 UTC 02/07/1967 Type: Surface Yield: 22Kt Arcturus was the last barge shot conducted by France. It was a test of the primary trigger that would be used the following year for the testing of France’s first two-stage thermonuclear device, Canopus. The cloud reached an altitude of 15,000 meters. Slight wind change following the shot resulted in the cloud passing near the atoll of Tureia, resulting in some fallout.

Canopus-|Fangataufa|

Date: 18:30 UTC 24/08/1968 Type: Baloon @520 Yield: 2.6Mt France's attempts to produce a staged thermonuclear weapon came to fruition with Canopus, also the largest French atmospheric test. Like most of the French tests, the three tonne device was suspended from a balloon. The device used a lithium-6 deuteride secondary jacketed with HEU that caused massive contamination of the atoll, requiring it to be quarantined for six years. The device was weaponised, entering the stockpile in 1977 as the TN-60 with a 1 megaton nominal yield. These warheads were deployed on the Redoutable class ballistic missile submarines as well as on the land based SSBS S3 missiles. Alternative clip

Procyon-|Mururoa|

Date: 19:00 UTC 08/09/1968 Type: Baloon Yield: 1.28Mt Procyon was France's second hydrogen bomb test designed to produce a larger fusion reaction from the secondary stage. The largest nuclear test conducted at Mururoa atoll and the second largest French test overall. The device was hoisted high above the Dindon testing sector, on the western end of Mururoa, by a helium filled balloon. Detonated at an altitude of 700 meters, the highest balloon test conducted by France. The device was fired at this height to reduce local radioactive fallout. The yield exceeded all pre-shot predictions. Though less powerful than the Canopus test, Procyon was considered a much more efficient design.

Licorne-|Mururoa|

Date: 18:30 UTC 03/07/1970 Type: Baloon @500m Yield: 914kt Licorne was the fourth thermonuclear test and the fifth largest conducted by France and was a test of the TN-60 warhead. The device was suspended from a balloon 500 meters above the Dindon testing sector. The mushroom cloud reached an altitude of 24,000 meters approximately six minutes after shot time, with the base of the cloud reaching 15,800 meters.

Toucan-|Fangataufa|
	Date: 19:00 UTC 03/08/1970 Type: Baloon @500m Yield: 594kt Toucan shot day was characterized by partial cloud cover, the mushroom cloud reached an altitude of 19,000 meters.

Encelade-|Fangataufa|
	Date: 19:14 UTC 12/06/1971 Type: Baloon @438m Yield: 440Kt Encelade was a proof test of the MR-41 boosted fission warhead. The MR-41 entered service in 1971 and had a nominal yield of 500 kilotons. The mushroom cloud reached an altitude of 16.5 kilometers 10 minutes after the explosion. Fallout fell over the atoll of Tureia following the test.

Japet-|Mururoa|
	Date: 21:30 UTC 04/07/1971 Type: Baloon @224m Yield: 9Kt Japet was possibly a developmental test for a primary trigger for the TN-60/61 warhead. The mushroom cloud reached an altitude of 8.7 kilometers.

Rhéa-|Mururoa|

Date: 19:00 UTC 14/08/1971 Type: Baloon @480m Yield: 955Kt Rhéa was a test of the TN-60/61 warhead. It was the third largest and last megaton range test conducted by France. The mushroom cloud reached an altitude of 64,000 feet. Four aircraft made seven passes each through the mushroom cloud to collect samples. Eight rockets were fired into the cloud to collect particulate samples. Fallout was detected on the Gambiers and several uninhabited islands. Alternate clip

Pallas-|Mururoa|
	Date: 19/08/1973 Type: Baloon Yield: 4kt Shot day was characterized by heavily cloudy conditions. Mushroom cloud rose to an altitude of 5,400 meters. Three aircraft conducted cloud sampling missions.

Achille-|Fangataufa|

Date: 18:15 UTC 05/06/1975 Type: Underground @-623m Yield: 5kt France ceased atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in 1974, with testing being conducted underground at Mururoa and Fangataufa. Deep shafts were drilled, the test devices were lowered then detonated deep below the atoll. These underground tests were far less polluting, but the process was more complex and therefore more expensive. As it turned out the porous nature of the coral meant that there was still significant leakage and contamination.

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Published on: 2005-12-16 (53027 reads)