France’s nuclear arsenal gets deadlier: will Putin's Avangard and Kinzhal test Macron's M51.3?

France has test-fired its upgraded M51.3 strategic ballistic missile for the first time from the nuclear-powered submarine Le Vigilant, with President Emmanuel Macron watching the launch. The missile carried no nuclear warhead, but the test underscores France’s effort to modernise its nuclear deterrent as tensions with Russia remain high, with Macron declaring that France’s strategic message is “loud and clear.”