The purpose of the five tests was to work on the miniaturization and the militarization of the TN-60 thermonuclear warhead and its resistance against blast and other effects of the ABM missiles. The TN-60 was a highly sophisticated warhead compared to U.S. warheads, and needed 21 nuclear tests spread over 8 years during the developmental process. The TN-60 entered service in 1977 but was quickly replaced a few months later by the TN-61. The TN-61 warhead weighed less and thus featured penetration aids on the re-entry vehicle. A total of 64 warheads were built to arm four submarines at the time. A maximum of 70 warheads were in the stockpile at any given time. The TN-61 was removed from service in 1991.
The series featured France’s second airdrop test of a nuclear device. The test, code named Tamara, was conducted on 28 August 1973. A Mirage III E successfully performed the test within the territorial waters of the atolls. A AN-52 tactical bomb was used for the test; it exploded with a force of 6.6 kilotons.
This series also marked the first time in which the cruiser De Grasse was not used as a firing station for the tests. A small firing team remained in a large concrete blockhouse constructed on the extreme eastern end of the atoll served as the control point for the tests.
The Mirage III used for the Tamara nuclear airdrop |
Weather conditions during the 1973 campaign were complex. Long periods of strong winds on the ground severely hampered balloon preparation. However, balloon behavior while in the air proved to be unproblematic.
The new Air France route Lima-Papeete-Tokyo had complicated operations slightly as commercial air traffic increased for the 1973 campaign. Ships sailing on the outskirts of the declared danger areas were warned of a test 15 minutes prior to actual detonation so that the crews could protect themselves from the luminous flash.
The international environmental organization Greenpeace began to send protest boats to Mururoa in the 1970s. Between 1972 and 1974, the Rainbow Warrior set sail from Australia to Mururoa with the intention of disrupting the nuclear tests. David McTaggart, a crew member of the Vega, was severely beat by French authorities after sailing his ship into the danger area. The McTaggart incident caused massive public outrage about France and her nuclear ambitions in the South Pacific. By sailing into the restricted danger zone around the atolls, the Greenpeace boats effectively prevented the firing of a nuclear device by France. Apparently one nuclear test in August 1973 was delayed several weeks due to the boats intruding into the danger zone.
