CEA Cesta

CEA/Cesta or simply Cesta (; ) is a French research facility (CEA, Direction of Military Applications) dedicated to the design of nuclear weapons.
The center was established in 1965 on the "commune" of Le Barp between Bordeaux and Arcachon.
The center hosts the Megajoule laser (LMJ), which should enable French nuclear scientists to validate models of nuclear explosion without having to conduct nuclear testing. The LMJ is the French equivalent of the National Ignition Facility.