1.
GV PARADE DOWN CHAMPS ELYSEES (SILENT)
0.07

2.
GV PRESIDENT DE GAULLE SALUTES AS PARADE PASSES SALUTING BASE (SOF MUSIC) PAN TO MORE FORCES.
0.32

3.
GV PRESIDENT DE GAULLE ON SALUTING BASE (SILENT)
0.34

4.
GV PARADE CONTINUES (SOF MUSIC)
0.47

5.
SV AFRICANS AMONG SPECTATORS (SILENT)
0.49

6.
GV BAND LEADS MORE TROOPS (SOF MUSIC)
1.04

7.
GV TRANSPORT PLANES FLY OVERHEAD (WILD SOF)
1.10

8.
GV ARMOURED VEHICLES DOWN CHAMPS ELYSEES. TILT UP.. TO MORE AIRCRAFT OVERHEAD (SOF)
1.21

9.
SV TANKS PASS (SOF)
1.29

10.
GROUND TO AIR V.. MIRAGE JETS FLY PAST (SILENT) (2 SHOTS)
1.41

11.
GV HONEST JOHN MISSILES, ON TRUCKS, PASS (SOF)
1.55

12.
GV TROOPS IN CARRIERS PASS (B/G SOF MUSIC)
2.13

13.
GV CAVALRY UNIT CANTERS PAST (2 SHOTS) ...ZOOM IN .. TO PRESIDENT DE GAULLE WATCHING (SOF)
2.47



Initials JT/V/WH-RM/SGM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: FRANCE'S NUCLEAR STRIKING FORCE TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WENT ON PUBLIC DISPLAY FOR THE FIRST TIME. MIRAGE FOUR JETS, CAPABLE OF CARRYING ATOMIC BOMBS, THUNDERED ACROSS PARIS DURING A GIANT MILITARY PARADE MARKING BASTILLE DAY. PRESIDENT DE GAULLE TOOK THE SALUTE.

IT WAS THE ANNUAL 14TH OF JULY PARADE RECALLING THE STORMING OF THE BASTILLE IN 1789, AND WAS THE BIGGEST SINCE THE END OF WORLD WAR TWO. NINE-THOUSAND MEN, MORE THAN 600 VEHICLES AND NUMEROUS AIRCRAFT TOOK PART.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LINED THE CHAMPS ELYSEES TO SEE THE ARMED STRENGTH OF FRANCE MARCH AND ROLL BY. ALL BRANCHES OF THE ARMED FORCES WERE REPRESENTED, DISPLAYING THE GROWING MILITARY MIGHT OF FRANCE.

THE MIRAGE FOUR JETS DROPPED OUT OF THE OVERCAST SKIES TO GIVE THE PUBLIC THEIR FIRST GLIMPSE OF THEM. DESIGNED TO FLY AT TWICE THE SPEED OF SOUND, PRESIDENT DE GAULLE CALLS THEM HIS "FORCE OF DISSUASION."
"HONEST JOHN" MISSILES PROVIDED ANOTHER REMINDER OF FRANCE'S AERIAL STRENGTH. THEY, TOO, ARE SAID TO HAVE NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES.

(BASTILLE DAY IS AN ANNUAL HOLIDAY IN FRANCE. THE BASTILLE WAS A PRISON IN FRANCE, WHERE THOSE WHO CRITISED THE RULERS OF THE TIME WERE IMPRISONED. ITS FALL TO REVOLUTIONARIES ON JULY 14, 1789, SYMBOLISED TO FRENCHMEN A NEW ERA FOR THEIR COUNTRY).