CEA

Le Triomphant submarine reactor vessel the reactor vessel of the Triomphant submarine is loaded at Cherbourg, Military Applications Division. © CEA   HIGHLIGHT In July 2004 the final batch of TN75s was delivered on schedule to the armed forces. LINKS DAM : La propulsion nucléaire navale, website - French only.  DAM : Pérenniser la dissuasion nucléaire française, website - French only.  Annual report : Defense, PDF.

Our strategy

The principal mission of CEA's Military Applications Division (DAM) is to contribute to guaranteeing France's deterrent capability. As part of this, it designs, manufactures and services nuclear warheads for missiles. There are currently two types of nuclear warheads in service, the TN81 (airborne component) and the TN75 (seaborne component). As weapons have a limited lifespan, the TN81 model will be replaced by the TNA (airborne nuclear warhead) from 2008 and the TN75 model by the TNO (seaborne nuclear warhead) from 2015. DAM also decommissions the warheads for which it is fully responsible. <br>
CEA's Military Applications Division also designs steam supply systems and reactor cores for the French Navy's nuclear-powered ships and contributes to their maintenance. Its missions also include support for the fleet in service, in particular through the supply of replacement reactor cores. The construction of the fourth new generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SNLE-NG), <em>Le Terrible </em>, is currently under way and under the Barracuda program the construction of six nuclear attack submarines (SNA) is planned, to replace those currently in service from 2013. The fuel and cores of the steam supply systems are the subject of R&amp;D programs that use mainly ground testing facilities such as the future RES test reactor. Lastly, CEA is also responsible for managing nuclear wastes and decommissioning nuclear steam supply systems in submarines at the end of their life. By 2012, four disarmed nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines will have reached decommissioning level 2, in which the steam supply system compartment is cut out and put in dry storage at the construction site in Cherbourg. Full decommissioning (level 3) is considered in the future.

Our partners

The main partners of the CEA Military Applications Division (DAM) for nuclear warheads are :

• Atalante : a large research complex encompassing chemistry and shielded cells laboratories,
• EADS and MBDA for missile development,
• Snecma for thermostructural materials,
• Thalès for electronics.

DAM works principally in conjunction with Technicatome for nuclear propulsion.

Figures & research resources

Nuclear warheads : regarding research facilities, please refer to the 'Simulation program' sheet.

To handle nuclear propulsion research, the RES program is currently under construction at the CEA center at Cadarache. It includes a test reactor fitted with high-performance instrumentation and a pool for storing irradiated fuel.
The reactor, which is modular in design, is partly a response to increased demand for the qualification of fuel and steam supply system cores and the qualification of new systems and equipment used in the steam supply systems.

CEA divisions

• Atalante : a large research complex encompassing chemistry and shielded cells laboratories,
• DAM Nuclear Propulsion Division
• CEA Center at Cadarache
• Military Applications Division/DAM Ile de France Center/Installation Projects and Engineering Department