About the nukes, I would think that they are fully in control of the French government with the manpower among protection units being increased.
About their use, I think that this will be limited and will depend on whom has targeted France.
I don't see the Soviet doing it because what would be their point. If USSR hits France, public opinion will bring the country into the war. According to French doctrine. The 18 missiles on the Plateau d'Albion will be sent at a range of targets in Eastern Europe. Then, a number of SLBM will be sent at USSR itself while tactical nukes will be used in support of NATO.
If NATO hits France, I can see a limited answer by the French targeted at highly sensitive targets (may be no more than two or three). As a former NATO member they will know of targets/emergency procedures that remain remote to the soviets. That could explain why France was not hard hit.
Whatever, as France and Belgium are the lightest hit, something stop them from being targeted. Indead, given the idea that Marseille has survived, it implies that not even all the refineries have been targeted.
I also think that they might have lost a number of their SSBN but they might have 1 recently commissioned and 1 under construction. At last, they might have used a small number of tactical nukes (probaly Hades missiles or ASMP cruise missiles) during their progression to the Rhine but I doubt it as it would made France a target.
About nukes locations:
- ten ASMP on each aircraft carriers.
- the remaining ASMP will be located at the nuclear dedicated airbase (more could be in limited production)
- 120 Hadès missile with 30 TEL. Out of these 30 at least will be equipped with nuclear warheads while the remaining ones carry conventional warheads (more missile under production)
- 18 S3 Missile located on the Plateau d'Albion (possibly replaced by land based M45).
- 80 M4 Missiles on the 5 remaining Le Redoutable-class (16 more might be on le Redoutable itself if you assume that the submarine was not decomissioned in 1991)
- 32 to 48 missile on the 2/3 Le Triomphant-class (I tend to assume that work on Le vigilant accelerated. After all the game has a Richelieu Aircraft Carrier that had been cancelled while the Charles de Gaulle was delayed). I also tend to consider that Le Terrible is nearing completion.
Nuclear weapons
- ASMP Cruise Missile (carried by Rafale, Super Etendard, Jaguar Mirage IV and Mirage 2000N): they are carrying a TN-81 warhead (100-300kt) with a maximum range of 400km. They can be used against ship with a range of 60km.
- Hadès Missiles (the Pluton had been phased out in 1993) nuclear warhead TN90 (80kt) with a range of 480km (30 warheads have been built)
- S3 Missiles with TN61 warheads (1.2Mt) and a range of 3500km. You can have them replace by land based M45 as it was intended in 1994 (but cancelled in 1996).
- M4 Missiles with TN71 warheads (6x150kt) and a range of 4500km
- M45 Missiles with TN75 warheads (6x110kt) and a range of 6000km
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