Overview
- Addressing the Senate foreign affairs and defense commission, General Fabien Mandon described the nuclear atmosphere as worrying with an unusually aggressive tenor in words and actions.
- He said Russia conducted late‑October tests of the Poseidon torpedo, which can carry a nuclear charge, and the nuclear‑powered Burevestnik cruise missile.
- According to Mandon, the Burevestnik flew continuously for more than ten hours, raising safety concerns over what he called a nuclear core flying inside a weapon.
- He noted that President Trump’s recent remarks suggested the United States could resume nuclear testing, a possibility not reported as a confirmed policy shift.
- He also reminded senators that Iran announced plans to rebuild nuclear facilities damaged in June strikes and reiterated that France must prepare for a potential confrontation with Russia within three to four years.