France Detonates Fifth Nuclear Blast In Pacific

France detonated a nuclear blast in the South Pacific Wednesday, the fifth in a series of tests on two remote atolls that have drawn global condemnation and triggered sometimes violent protests.

The explosion came at 12:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. PST) on Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia, 750 miles southeast of Tahiti, the Defense Ministry reported.

It said the blast released energy of “less than 30 kilotons.” By comparison, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 measured slightly less than 20 kilotons.

French scientists will use data obtained from the blast to calibrate instruments that could make future testing unnecessary, the Defense Ministry said.

Condemnation and protest have echoed across the globe since the blasts began.