PARIS, May 5 (UPI) -- A French ballistic missile malfunctioned during a test launch Sunday and had to be destroyed while in flight, the Ministry of Defense said.
An investigation was immediately launched into the cause of the aborted test of the M51 missile over Normandy.
Military officials told reporters the problem occurred in the first phase of the missile's ascent and triggered a self-destruct order. The exact nature of the malfunction was not immediately known, Radio France Internationale said.
The M51 is a strategic ballistic missile designed for submarines. It was launched from Audriene Bay and crashed into an area that had been cleared of civilian air and maritime traffic.
The missile would have landed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean if its flight had been successful.
