© depositphotos/sherbak.volodymir.gmail.com Paris is also considering the possibility of developing a new tank.
France intends to augment its reserves of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles by 400% by the year 2030 , Politico indicates , referencing the nation’s proposed legislation on military strategy.
The Russian Federation’s conflict against Ukraine and the fresh surge in tensions in the Middle East have demonstrated the rapid depletion of ammunition amid fierce combat. Paris is now allocating billions of euros to restock existing reserves, encompassing air defense missiles utilized by the country’s air force in the Persian Gulf to counter drone incursions from Iran.
“Undoubtedly, the immediate requirement is for ammunition,” French Prime Minister Sébastien Le Corneille recently conveyed to legislators, amidst widespread apprehension across Europe regarding a potential conflict with Russia before the close of the decade.
On April 8, the French government will introduce an updated military planning statute that will earmark 8.5 billion euros for drones and missiles until 2030. The bill represents a multi-year fiscal initiative that establishes objectives for the acquisition and advancement of weaponry.
“These endeavors are manifested in a surge in the quantity of orders and deliveries, alongside the adaptation of industrial infrastructure through the joint financing of pivotal production capabilities. This is undertaken to gear up for a ‘war economy,'” the 64-page document stipulates.
Since Russia’s comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the majority of European nations have been bolstering their defense capabilities, committing billions of euros to arms. This inclination has heightened following Donald Trump’s re-election as US president, fueled by anxieties that Washington might either disengage from NATO or simply cease to guarantee Europe’s safety.
The French military planning statute envisions defense expenditures of €63.3 billion in 2027, €68.3 billion in 2028, €72.8 billion in 2029, and €76.3 billion in 2030. Upon the bill’s enactment by parliament, these sums will still necessitate annual approval by lawmakers through specific budgetary decrees.
The drone and missile ambitions are significant. France aims to amplify its stockpile of kamikaze drones by 400%, AASM Hammer guided aerial munitions by 240%, and Aster and Mica missiles by 30%.
The anticipated novel agreements, as outlined in the military planning statute, emerge against a backdrop of reciprocal accusations between the French government and industry concerning the deficiency in mass arms production. Arms producers fault the government for insufficient orders, whereas the government mandates that they invest in production capabilities before finalizing contracts.
A French official previously communicated to Politico that arms manufacturers should be prepared for a substantial elevation in demand.
Apart from ammunition reserves, the bill reveals that France has no intention of broadening its armed forces: for instance, there are no strategies to procure supplementary Rafale fighter aircraft or frigates, despite prior assurances from French President Emmanuel Macron and Le Corneille.
Nevertheless, Paris is contemplating the prospect of devising a new tank. The project signifies that France will embark on research and assessment of a prospective combat vehicle that could potentially succeed the extant flagship French tank, the Leclerc.
This transpires amidst escalating demands from lawmakers and industry to compel the government to acknowledge that the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System tank development initiative could encounter postponements and that the French ground forces necessitate an interim remedy upon the Leclerc combat vehicles’ retirement in the latter part of the 2030s.
“We must not permit 2026 to be squandered,” French lawmaker François Cormier-Boulijon conveyed to reporters this week.
France also seems to have abandoned the Eurodrone project, an unmanned aerial vehicle being jointly crafted with Germany, Italy, and Spain, given that the draft military planning statute does not allocate funding for this European program, which has already undergone substantial delays.
While the draft military planning statute is structured to extend until 2030, parliamentarians and industry figures anticipate that Macron’s successor will formulate a fresh strategy following the 2027 presidential election.
However, there is a widespread accord in France concerning the imperative to elevate defense expenditures: far-right leader Jordan Bardella stated last month that Paris should allocate 3.5% of GDP to military spending, congruent with NATO objectives.
It was previously communicated that France is reevaluating its military approach, leveraging the insights gained from Ukraine and the Middle East, in anticipation of a potential confrontation with Russia . Both conflicts shape forthcoming determinations regarding the weaponry Paris will cultivate, acquire, and deploy.