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Pluton

Pluton was a short range, road mobile, solid propellant, single warhead ballistic missile. Design of the Pluton started in the early 1960s, and the system entered service in 1974 with the French Army. Plans for a Super Pluton were dropped in 1983 in favour of a new missile programme, called Hades. The Pluton missile was 7.64 m long and had a body diameter of 0.65 m. The missile had a launch weight of 2423 kg and the single stage solid propellant motor gave the missile a range of 120 km. Inertial guidance gave an estimated accuracy of 150 m CEP. The missile was believed to have conventional HE or nuclear warheads, with two nuclear warhead options at 15 or 25 kT depending upon the target. The missile was carried on a heavily modified AMX-30 tank chassis. Provision was made for real time targeting information to be passed to the Pluton command vehicle from a CT-20 drone. The Pluton system entered service in 1974, and it is believed that there were 30 launchers deployed with missiles, reloads and alternative warheads. The system was phased out of service in 1993.

Specifications
prime contractor Aerospatiale, Space and Strategic Systems Division, Les Mureaux
Length 7.64 m
Body diameter 0.65 m
Launch weight 2423 kg
Payload Single warhead
Warhead HE or 15/25 kT nuclear
Guidance Inertial
Propulsion Single stage solid propellant
Range 120 km
Accuracy 150 m CEP

Sources and Resources


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