The TN 61 was a French first thermonuclear weapon.
It was a lighter weight version of the TN 60 warhead and quickly replaced it in service on the M20 SLBMs on the Redoutable class SSBNs. The TN 61 was also used on the SSBS S3D IRBM missiles. The 1 megaton yield weapon was in service between 1980 and 1996.
The 90 TN-61 warheads were produced to arm 64 M20 SLBM and 18 SSBS S3D IRBM in plateau d'albion. Another 8 warheads were used for spare parts.
TN-61 warhead developed with foreign assistance from United States to miniaturize and add penetration aids to French ballistic missiles to saturate and penetrate Moscow anti-ballistic missile defence.
TN-61 warheads were similar in performance to W56 warheads of Minuteman-2 intercontinental ballistic missiles.
References
- Norris, Robert, Burrows, Andrew, Fieldhouse, Richard "Nuclear Weapons Databook, Volume V, British, French and Chinese Nuclear Weapons, San Francisco, Westview Press, 1994, ISBN 0-8133-1612-X