S2 (missile)

The S2 was a French two-stage, solid-propellant ballistic missile developed in the early 1960s. It formed the basis of France's first independent nuclear deterrent force, Force de Frappe. The S2 was deployed in silos on the Plateau d'Albion in southeastern France.

The missile was approximately 16.5 meters long and had a diameter of 1.5 meters. It had a launch weight of around 32 tons. The S2 used an inertial guidance system. It was designed to deliver a single nuclear warhead with a yield of approximately 70 kilotons of TNT equivalent. Its range was approximately 2,750 kilometers.

The S2 was operational from 1971 until 1980, when it was replaced by the improved S3 missile. The S2 program represented a significant step in France's development of nuclear weapons technology and its assertion of strategic independence during the Cold War. The deployment of the S2 provided France with a land-based component of its nuclear triad, complementing its submarine-launched ballistic missiles and air-launched nuclear weapons.