FRANCE’S TESTS COST OF NUCLEAR CENTRE IN THE PACIFIC IS HIGH

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 16

FRANCE’S TESTS COST OF NUCLEAR CENTRE IN THE PACIFIC IS HIGH

(By the Parts correspondent of th* "Financial Tiwwi”> (Reprinted from th« "Financial Ttmei'* by arrangement* In theory the nuclear test centre in the Pacific, centred on the atoll of Mururoa, cost 2165 million francs (£159 million) to put together. In fact, some observers believe the real figure is much higher, and “La Monde” argues that it may be between 3000 million francs and 3500 million francs (£222 million and £257 million), SCHEDULED FRENCH DEFENCE CAPITAL SPENDING 1965-70

One thing is clear however. If the test centre has cost more than was originally bargained for, and more than is officially admitted, it is because the French Government was determined to have it ready by the appointed date of July 1. Just as the first French satellite launching was deliberately timed to coincide with the French Presidential elections last year, so the first French atmospheric nuclear explosion has been timed to coincide with France’s ! withdrawal from the North [Atlantic Treaty Organisation. [ The only reason for firing the bomb on July 2 was that weather conditions caused a 24-hour delay. Lone Wolf

The point that France really does have a nuclear potential and can afford to play a lone wolf role regardless of the Moscow test ban treaty—has been rubbed in hard by a series of ministerial statements.

Mr Pierre Messmer, the Armed Forces Minister, has announced that the first French strategic rockets with nuclear warheads will be operational in 1969, as a gradual I replacement of the present force of 62 Mirage IV bombers. It is claimed that a hydrogen bomb will be operational in 1970, as well as Polaris-type submarine-launch-ed missiles, and that tactical atomic weapons will be in service by 1971. The first bomb exploded in the present series was of roughly the same size as the; Hiroshima bomb, or some 18 kilotons. The complete series, which is expected to total

isix explosions in all. will include tests at various altitudes and probably the first launching from a Mirage bomber, and will culminate in a “doped” bomb to be exploded in the first half of September in the presence of President de Gaulle, probably of the order of magnitude of the recent Chinese test of 200 kilotons. Thermo-nuclear tests proper will not take place for

two years. Algerian Tests

[ Theoretically, the next ex(plosion will be the sixth French nuclear test comparted with 192 for the United -States, 141 for the Soviet [ Union and 21 for Britain. In fact, in addition to these atmospheric tests, France has (also held about 25 subterranean nuclear explosions at its [previous test site at Reggane [in the Sahara, now being dismantled. [ Under their agreement with the Algerian Government, the French could have gone on using the Saharan test site until next summer. But It became so painfully obvious that Algerians were hostile to further atmospheric testing that the French Government decided to switch all its efforts to the new Pacific site, which is even further from large population centres. I i In fact the Pacific test site is split between three islands. The main rear base is at Papeete on Tahiti, while a forward base is established at | Hao. Mururoa, where this (year’s test series is taking | place, is 750 and 280 miles] [away respectively, while the future hydrogen bomb explosions will take place at the neighbouring atoll of Fangataufa. While the first explosion appears to have gone off per-' fectly normally, the French have some way to go before] their “force de frappe” is fully “competitive." The military rocket programme, of [ which the space launchings have been merely a by-pro-

duct, has proved to be extraordinarily dynamic, given France's relatively limited resources. But they still no doubt have to solve all the problems of miniaturisation involved in placing a strategic warhead on their missiles: their first-generation atomic bomb is painfully outsize, bulging as it does well below the belly of the Mirage IV bomber.

Computers Vetoed Moreover. the French

:- nuclear programme has probi ably been handicapped by the ■- United States Administra--1 tion’s decision to veto the t sale of large Control Dau a and International Business e Machine computers to the s French Government. This is !_ likely to slow down future 5 progress on the most sophis- » ticated systems—and illustrates the French Govern(merit's reasons for pressing j ahead with a purely national /computer programme. J! Even as it is, the nuclear . strike force programme, in- ' eluding missiles and bombs. ’ employs nearly 3000 scientific ’ research workers, according , to Mr Messmer, or nearly 10 : per cent of the total number , of researchers in France. ’ There is, however, no sign • that General de Gaulle will be influenced by the difficulIties ahead from pressing on '[to the completion of the final •phase of the “force de : frappe.” The Government continues to argue that the : nuclear programme repre--1 sents a marked saving on the /costs of mainUining a large [conventional army, especially ‘ when that army was required to fight a long drawn-out war in Algeria or Indo-China. ■[ On the other hand, it Is clear that the nuclear force [is proving unexpectedly ex- [ pensive; only the other day [Mr Messmer announced that [ the modernisation of the conventional forces, notably the mechanisation of the army, is i to be spread out over a longer period because of shortage of funds.

Nuclear arms: (Frs.m.) (Frs.m.) a Fissile materials 6700 General studies (further b Studies and production improvements and IIof arms .. 5500 bomb) 1500 c Experiments and tests 3440 d Nuclear propulsion (subTotal spending on nuclear marines) 277 strategic force 27,417 Rockets and missiles 5400 (£2000m) Aircraft .... 2900 Total French defence budSubmarines 1700 get (1965-70) 54,898 (£4000m)