French Government Approves The Biggest Military Spending Spree In Over 50 Years

FILE PHOTO-French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his New Year address to the French Army, at the Mont-de-Marsan air base, France January 20, 2023. Bob Edme/Pool via REUTERS 

Defense News: Macron sends $438 billion military budget plan to French parliament 

STUTTGART, Germany — France’s government is pouring hundreds of billions of euros into shoring up its military apparatus via its newest military programming law, which, if enacted, would support new capability efforts and ongoing programs through the end of the decade. 

Officials unveiled the proposed 2024-2030 military programming law (LPM) on April 4, ahead of presenting it to France’s legislative bodies. 

The five-year programming law has been in development since spring 2022, and was honed during top-level meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, and Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, said Army Col. Yann Latil, director of the ministry’s strategic capability cell, during an April 3 media briefing. 

 Read more ....  

WNU Editor: These increases and commitments are serious. It is a budgetthat is designed to prepare France for war. 

French Government Approves The Biggest Military Spending Spree In Over 50 Years  

French government approves biggest military spending spree in over 50 years as war in Ukraine continues -- FOX News  

France's Defence Minister suggests substantial increase in military budget amid Ukraine war -- Euronews  

France to boost military budget to €413 billion over next seven years -- RFI 

France to spend €16 billion on ammunition by 2030 -- EurActiv  

France to invest in drone tech and space, as new €413 billion military budget unveiled -- Euronews 

France hikes military reservist age to 70 -- DW

French President Macron Wants To Spend €400 Billion To ‘Transform’ France’s Forces Through 2030

 

Defense News: Macron wants €400 billion to ‘transform’ France’s forces through 2030 

STUTTGART, Germany — Seven months after declaring the launch of a new “war economy” in France, President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled plans to spend hundreds of billions of euros on defense investments that will “transform” the military over the next decade. 

The nation’s next six-year military programming law – known in French as the “loi de programmation militaire,” or LPM – will shape the nation’s defense spending between 2024-2030. 

Drawing on current geopolitical circumstances and technological developments, Macron will request a €400 billion ($433.4 billion) investment for the 2024-2030 LPM, he announced in a Friday speech at the nation’s Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in southwestern France. 

If enacted, that sum would reflect a 35% increase over the current 2019-2025 LPM of €295 billion, and could cover a total of €413 billion military needs, he claimed. 

Read more .... 

French President Macron Wants To Spend €400 Billion To ‘Transform’ France’s Forces Through 2030  

Macron unveils major boost in French military spending amid Ukraine war -- France 24  

Macron boosts French military spending by over a third to 'transform' army -- Reuters  

France's Macron proposes big rise in defence budget -- BBC  

Macron proposes major boost to French defense spending amid Ukraine war -- Politico.eu 

Emmanuel Macron boosts defence budget to keep France 'a war ahead' -- The Telegraph  

Macron: France to hike military spending by a third -- DW 

‘Multiple threats’: Macron raises France’s military budget 40% -- Al Jazeera

French President Macron Announces A Shift In Military Posture As War Returns To Europe

 

France 24: Macron unveils shift in military posture as war returns to Europe 

President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that France's military strategy must strengthen the country as an independent, respected nuclear-armed power through the end of the decade, warning against a risk of escalation and other global effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

“Europe is not sheltered anymore from missile and drone strikes. And we must integrate this reality,” Macron said, speaking on the Dixmude helicopter carrier, docked in the Mediterranean military base of Toulon which is home to more than 24,000 troops. 

 Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine “may precede broader geopolitical rivalries and a future that we have no reason to accept with fatalism”, Macron said as he unveiled France’s “national strategic review”, meant to define how the country’s defense will look in 2030.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: I guess Macron is listening to his Generals .... France not ready for high-intensity war says former Army Chief (Euractiv). 

French President Macron Announces A Shift In Military Posture As War Returns To Europe 

France sets its military goals as war is back in Europe -- AP  

Macron: France’s new strategic review to meet ‘dangerous moment’ in the world -- Breaking Defense  

Macron Seeks to Allay Concerns Over France's Nuclear Arms Policy -- Bloomberg

France Wants Bionic Soldiers

© Sputnik / Valeriy Melnikov 

Daily Mail: France is developing bionic soldiers resistant to pain with microchip-enhanced brain power and superior hearing 

 * Scientists also researching pills to keep soldiers awake for long periods of time 

 * Microchips will be designed to release calming substances and improve brains 

 * Scientists also trying to make implants for headquarters to track soldier location 

France is developing bionic soldiers resistant to pain and stress with microchip-enhanced brain power. 

The country's ethical committee of the armed forces ministry gave approval in order for France to keep up with countries which are already working on similar projects. 

Research is also being done to create pills which will keep soldiers awake for long periods and surgery to improve their hearing.

Read more .... 

Update #1: French army gets ethical go-ahead for bionic soldiers (CNN) 

Update #2: Super Soldiers Without Fear and Beyond Reproach: France Opens Way for Augmenting Its Military (Sputnik) 

WNU Editor: This is the next big thing. Enhancing soldiers via through biotech.

Here Is The French Army's Plan To 'Toughen Up'

Defense News: The French Army wants to toughen up, and here’s its plan to get there

PARIS — France’s Army needs to toughen up, according to its chief of staff, and he has the strategic plan to do it by 2030.

Gen. Thierry Burkhard, a paratrooper in the Foreign Legion and former commander of its 13th Demi-Brigade and later of the Combined Operations Center, unveiled the 20-page document on Wednesday. The document was prepared by a tight-knit group of senior officers, who worked on it from August to October last year. It was then discussed by senior Army cadres, and by January it was ready. However, the coronavirus pandemic delayed its publication.

Burkhard said implementing the plan is critical because a “recurrence of a major conflict is now a credible hypothesis.”

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It looks like the French Army is on the right path.

Rafale Fighter Performs An Incredible Landing In Front of Mountain Backdrop At A Swiss Air Base (Video)

Warzone/The Drive: Watch This Rafale Fighter Drop Like A Brick During Crazy Approach To A Mountain Airport

The French jet makes an incredibly steep descent before it comes zooming in low and touches down.

We here at The War Zone are always on the lookout for cool and otherwise intriguing military aviation videos. Today, a clip appeared online of a French Air Force Rafale making a spectacular landing last year at Mollis Airport in Switzerland.

The video in question, from ARithner Photography, shows the jet making an extremely rapid descent on its approach to landing at the mountain airbase. The pilot pulls up at tree-top level and then soars to a smooth landing amongst the clear jubilation of plane spotters and other onlookers on the ground.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: That is one cool video!

A Look At France's Nuclear Weapons

Caleb Larson, National Interest: France: The Forgotten Nuclear Power That Could Kill Billions of People

Paris might not have a massive stockpile of nukes, but they could do some serious damage if need be.

The French nuclear arsenal is pretty substantial, with air- and sea-based components. Here is a breakdown of French nuclear capabilities.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:According to this organization, France has approximately 300 nuclear weapons .... Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What at a Glance (Arms Control Association).

Almost 700 Sailors Aboard The French Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle Are Infected With The Covid-19 Coronavirus

France 24: A third of French aircraft carrier crew have Covid-19, says defence ministry

A third of the nearly 2,000 sailors who were aboard France's aircraft carrier and support craft when a coronavirus outbreak occurred at sea have tested positive for the virus, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

With two-thirds of test results in, 668 sailors from the Charles-de-Gaulle and escort vessels in its battle group are confirmed to have the virus, it said.

Thirty-one were being treated in hospital, and one was in intensive care, a ministry statement said.

Last week, it was decided to bring the Charles-de-Gaulle home 10 days early from a deployment in the Atlantic after some crew members showed coronavirus symptoms.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: U.S. sailors aboard the FRench aircraft carrier are also infected .... US Navy sailors aboard French aircraft carrier hit hard by coronavirus have tested positive for the virus (Business Insider). More here on the U.S. sailors .... Four US sailors assigned to French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle are quarantined with two testing positive for coronavirus after ship suffered an outbreak following NATO drills (Daily Mail)

More News On Almost 700 Sailors Aboard The French Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle Being Infected With The Covid-19 Coronavirus

UPDATED: At Least 668 Sailors in French Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group Test Positive for COVID-19; Hundreds More Still Pending -- USNI News
Coronavirus: 668 infected on French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle -- BBC
One-third of French aircraft carrier sailors test positive for COVID-19: ministry -- CGTN
Coronavirus spreads on French aircraft carrier, 700 sailors infected -- Euractiv
Over ONE THIRD of crew on France’s only aircraft carrier have contracted coronavirus – military -- RT
France launches probe into Covid-19 outbreak on its only aircraft carrier as 20 sailors remain in hospital, 1 in intensive care -- RT
Inquiry after 668 of French aircraft carrier's crew catch coronavirus -- The Guardian

French Submarine Crews Are Probably Unaware Of The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

RFI: Submarine crews probably unaware of Covid-19 pandemic

As the world struggles with the coronavirus epidemic, there are still pockets of people who know nothing of the problem. Submarine crews are probably among them. Purposely shielded from worldly worries to ensure undivided focus on their mission of nuclear deterrence, they are unlikely to have been told how the disease is turning life upside down.

Crew aboard ballistic submarines are habitually spared bad news while underwater. This is to avoid undermining their morale, according to current and former officers who served aboard France's nuclear-armed subs. So those who left port before the virus spread around the globe are likely to have been kept in the dark about the extent of the crisis by their commanders, they say.

Read more ....

More News On French Submarine Crews Probably Not Being Aware Of The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

Blissful ignorance? Submariners likely unaware of pandemic -- AP
Submariners at sea likely shielded from knowledge of coronavirus pandemic -- FOX News
Former French submarine commander: Crews likely unaware of coronavirus pandemic -- Washington Examiner

France Announces Its First-Ever Armed Drone Strike During A Military Operation In Mali

A French soldier of the Serval operation in Mali stands in front of a Harfang drone at the French army base in Niamey. Photograph: Martin Bureau/AFP

France 24: French army carries out first-ever drone strike during Mali op

France's armed forces said Monday it had carried out a drone strike for the first time, during operations in Mali at the weekend in which it said 40 "terrorists" were killed.

On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron had announced that French forces had "neutralised" 33 jihadists in the central Malian region of Mopti, in an operation that had started the previous night.

In a statement, the French military command said the drone strike happened during a follow-up operation Saturday in which another seven jihadist fighters were killed.

As French commandos were searching the combat zone in Ouagadou forest, 150 kilometres (90 miles) from the town of Mopti, "they were attacked by a group of terrorists on motorbikes," the statement said.

A Reaper drone and a French Mirage 2000 patrol opened fire to support the ground troops, it said.

"This is the first operational strike by an armed drone," the statement said, confirming an earlier report published in the specialist blog Le Mamouth.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I disagree. I am not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in this conflict .... 'We are at a turning point in war' against jihadism: French President Macron in Niger (France 24).

More News On France Announcing Its First-Ever Armed Drone Strike During A Military Operation In Mali

France Announces First Armed Drone Strike, Killing 7 Islamic Extremists in Mali -- Time/AP
France kills 7 in first armed drone strike as anti-jihadist mission in Mali drags on -- RT
France Just Became the Latest Country to Use Unmanned Combat Drones -- VICE News

Report: Dozens Of Former French Soldiers Have Joined Jihadist Groups In The Middle East

The Telegraph: Dozens of former French soldiers joined jihadist groups in Middle East, new report reveals

Islamist groups have recruited dozens of former French soldiers, a troubling new report has revealed less than three months after a terrorist attack by a staff member at police headquarters in Paris shocked the nation.

More than a third of the ex-servicemen are converts to Islam and nearly half served in elite Foreign Legion, parachute, commando or marine units where they acquired expertise in combat and handling weapons and explosives.

The conservative newspaper Le Figaro published excerpts on Wednesday from the forthcoming report by the Centre for the Analysis of Terrorism, a Paris-based think tank.

The report says the French army “constitutes a strategic recruitment target for terrorist groups… and former soldiers represent tremendous assets for these groups.”

The report, “Soldiers and Jihad”, profiles 23 ex-servicemen “identified within terrorist organisations [mainly Isil] or implicated in plotting terrorist attacks”.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: To be fair. Many France is not the only country that has a radicalization problem with some of its soldiers.

13 French Soldiers Killed In Mali When Two Helicopters Collide Pursuing Militants

Daily Mail: 13 French soldiers are killed when two helicopters collide during anti-jihadist operation in Mali

* Six officers, six non-commissioned officers and a master corporal died Monday
* Two helicopters collided during operations against jihadists in the Sahel
* French President Emmanuel Macron lauded the 'courage of French soldiers'
* France has 4,500 troops in Mali to combat jihadists who have swept the region

Thirteen French soldiers were killed last night when two helicopters collided during an anti-jihadist operation in Mali.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed 'deep sadness' at the news of the crash in the Sahel and spoke of the 'courage of French soldiers.'

The dead included six officers, six non-commissioned officers and a master corporal. Monday's deaths brings the total number of French soldiers killed in the Sahel to 28.

Thousands of civilians and soldiers have died in violence across the Sahel which began when armed Islamists revolted in northern Mali in 2012.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Helicopter Accident That Killed 13 French Soldiers In Mali

Thirteen French soldiers killed in Mali helicopter accident -- France 24
French troops pursuing Mali militants killed in helicopter collision -- Reuters
13 French soldiers killed in helicopter collision in Mali -- AP
Thirteen French troops killed in helicopter crash in Mali -- BBC
Thirteen French soldiers killed in helicopter collision in Mali -- ABC News Online
13 French soldiers killed in mid-air helicopter collision in Mali -- Al Jazeera
13 French soldiers killed in helicopter crash in Mali -- CNN
Mali: 13 French soldiers killed in helicopter accident -- Euronews
Helicopter crash leaves 13 French troops dead in Mali -- The Guardian
France's grinding battle with Sahel jihadists -- France 24

A French Soldier's View Of U.S. Soldiers In Afghanistan

American Thinker: A French soldier's view of US soldiers in Afghanistan

A reader who, in this day of blacklists, must remain anonymous, sends this observation about our soldiers in Afghanistan:

It's not unusual for the French to comment on anything American and normally in the negative. What is rare is a Frenchman saying something positive about Americans; in this case heaping praise on our soldiers in Afghanistan.

Blogger and veteran Wes O'Donnell has translated an editorial in a French newspaper from a French soldier serving with a prestigious U.S. infantry battalion. I recommend reading the whole thing. Here are some excerpts:

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This story reminds me of another story but from the perspective of a Taliban fighter. When captured and interrogated he remarked that the Taliban always knew that when they engaged with U.S. forces, the U.S. forces always went on the offensive and were relentless even when outnumbered. On a side note. My father who had years of combat experience during the Second World War always believed that the French Foreign Legion were the best soldiers in the world.

France's Only Aircraft Carrier To Be Deployed To Asia

French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Wikipedia

David Axe, National Interest: France's Only Aircraft Carrier Is Back in Action (And Headed Asia)

The French navy's only aircraft carrier is back in action following an 18-month, $1.5-billion overhaul that compelled French aviators to practice aboard an American flattop.

The French navy's only aircraft carrier is back in action following an 18-month, $1.5-billion overhaul that compelled French aviators to practice aboard an American flattop.

The Marine Nationale accepted the 42,000-ton-displacement, nuclear-powered Charles De Gaulle from the Direction Générale de l’Armement -- the French procurement agency -- in early November 2018.

"The 18-month overhaul and modernisation of the carrier in the southern French port of Toulon covered the combat system, aircraft maintenance facilities and the platform," Jane's reported.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: They are joining the Brits .... Britain is ramping up its stand-off with China by deploying its only aircraft carrier to the South China Sea (Business Insider).

Not All Of France's Missiles Were Able To Launch In Last Week's Missile Strike Against Syria

French Rafale jet with a Storm-Shadow / SCALP cruise missile © mbda-systems.com

Defense News: France turns to plan B when missile launch fails during Syria airstrikes

PARIS — When a French multimission frigate failed to fire its salvo of three naval cruise missiles during last weekend’s joint airstrike on Syria, the military drew on a backup plan.

The frigate’s sister ship, the Languedoc, instead launched its naval cruise missiles at the three Syrian targets. The mission was the first time France fired its naval cruise missile, a weapon which up until then only the British and U.S. had fired against a threat.

“The first salvo did not fire,” Army Col. Patrick Steiger, spokesman for the French Joint Chief of Staff, told Defense News on April 18.

The launch by a backup ship is part of France’s standard “redundancy” approach, the spokesman said.

Read more ....

Update #1: France Had Some Issues Firing Ze Missiles During The Syria Strikes (Task & Purpose)
Update #2: Macron’s fizzle: 12 French missiles launched at Syria, but several more fail to fire (RT)

WNU Editor: At least plan B worked.

French Military Chief Resigns After Clash With French President Macron

RT: ‘I won’t be f***ed’: French armed forces chief quits after clash with Macron over budget cuts

The French military chief has resigned after an open conflict with President Emmanuel Macron over spending. Pierre de Villiers publicly complained about Macron’s cuts to the military's budget, reportedly saying that he won’t be “f***ed like that.”

“In the current circumstances I see myself as no longer able to guarantee the robust defense force I believe is necessary to guarantee the protection of France and the French people, today and tomorrow, and to sustain the aims of our country,” De Villiers said, as cited by French media.

He added that Macron had accepted his resignation.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: French President Macron broke his election promise of increasing the defense budget .... hence the disagreement and resignation.

More News On French Military Chief Pierre de Villiers Resigning After Clash With French President Macron Over Budget Cuts

Macron accepts resignation of French military chief -- France 24
Macron replaces army chief who quit in row over budget cuts: military source -- Reuters
France's armed forces chief resigns after clash with Macron over budget cuts -- Reuters
France's top military chief quits after public bust up with Macron -- The Local France
French military head de Villiers quits over cuts -- BBC
French military chief Pierre de Villiers quits after clash with President Macron -- SKY News
Head of French military quits after row with Emmanuel Macron -- The Guardian
French army chief resigns over Macron spat -- Politico.eu
French Armed Forces Chief Quits in Row Over Budget Cuts With Macron -- Sputnik
Macron names François Lecointre new armed forces chief -- France 24
New French Military Head Named After General Quits in Spat -- US News and World Report/AP
Macron Suffers Biggest Test of Authority as Military Head Quits -- Bloomberg

French Troops Accused Of Child Abuse In Central African Republic

President François Hollande pictures here meeting French soldiers on a trip to Central African Republic. Photo: AFP

The Guardian: UN aid worker suspended for leaking report on child abuse by French troops

Anders Kompass said to have passed confidential document to French authorities because of UN’s failure to stop abuse of children in Central African Republic

A senior United Nations aid worker has been suspended for disclosing to prosecutors an internal report on the sexual abuse of children by French peacekeeping troops in the Central African Republic.

Sources close to the case said Anders Kompass passed the document to the French authorities because of the UN’s failure to take action to stop the abuse. The report documented the sexual exploitation of children as young as nine by French troops stationed in the country as part of international peacekeeping efforts.

Update #1: French troops accused of raping boys in CAR -- The Local
Update #2: France's poisoned legacy in the Central African Republic -- David Smith, The Guardian

WNU Editor: Instead of being suspended this UN aid worker should be promoted .... but this has always been a long term problem for the UN when it comes to its peacekeepers and allegations of sexual abuse .... and their response has always been the same .... they turn a blind eye.

A Look At France's Special Forces

CBS: The special forces behind France's rescue operations

WNU Editor: The above video is a documentary on training and operations (English subtitles) on The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, commonly abbreviated GIGN.

French Soldier In Central African Republic Caught Wearing Nazi Slogan On His Uniform

This picture taken on December 17, 2013 shows a French soldier in the Central African Republic with a patch bearing a motto used by the Nazi Waffen-S on his uniform. Press TV

French Soldier Wears Nazi Slogan On Uniform In Central African Republic -- The Guardian

Soldier, said to be in an elite parachute regiment, photographed with patch carrying the words 'Meine Ehre heisst Treue'

French military chiefs have launched an investigation to after a soldier serving in the Central African Republic was pictured wearing a Nazi slogan on his uniform.

The man, reportedly from an elite parachute regiment, was photographed in fatigues carrying his rifle. On the right sleeve of his uniform was sewn a round patch carrying the number 32 on a French flag and the words "Meine Ehre heisst Treue" ("my honour is loyalty"). The motto was used by Nazi Waffen-SS soldiers during the second world war and is banned in a number of countries including Germany and Austria.

Embarrassingly, the photograph was part of a series posted on the French army's official external operations Facebook page before it was taken down.

Read more ....

Update: French soldier in CAR caught wearing Nazi slogan -- RFI

My Comment: Not a smart move on the part of this soldier .... but the press is making a mountain out of a mole hill on this story.

Major Cuts In France's Defense Budget

Up to 34,000 French military posts will be lost over the next six years as the French military tightens its belt. Diarra / Reuters

Grim Economics Shape France’s Military Spending -- New York Times

PARIS — France will effectively freeze its military spending for the next several years, cutting nearly 10 percent of defense jobs while using more money for high-tech equipment, in a bid to maintain its ability to conduct overseas operations like the one in Mali, the government said Monday.

A strategic review, the first since 2008, tries to reconcile France’s weak economic growth and declining budgets with its ability to take unilateral military action, preserve its nuclear deterrent, and improve its intelligence and cybersecurity.

While spending about 1.5 percent of its gross domestic product on defense, France will remain Europe’s No. 2 in military spending behind Britain. Britain is shrinking its armed forces to 82,000, the lowest number since the Battle of Waterloo, while trying to keep its own nuclear deterrent.

Read more ....

More News On Major Cuts In France's Defense Budget

Crisis-Hit France To Cut Armed Forces By 10 Percent -- Defense News/AFP
France to cut 24,000 military jobs, seeking savings as economic crisis looms -- Washington Post/AP
France, keen to boost military strength, avoids defence cuts -- Reuters
Hollande to Trim French-Army Size, Freeze Defense Spending -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Massive job and budget cuts announced for French military -- RFI
France's foreign firepower threatened by budget cuts -- Reuters