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26 D EF EN S EH ER E E UR O S A T O R Y 2 0 2 4 E D I T ION

FRANCE

Overview
In November 2022, France published a new National Strategic
Review, emphasizing the worsening security environment,
the necessity to bolster resilience, and the significance of
the NATO Alliance and European strategic autonomy. As a
leading military force in the EU, NATO, and the UN, France
maintains globally deployed forces and is expanding its capa-
bilities in nontraditional domains. This includes establishing
a space command, developing a space strategy, formalizing
an offensive cyber doctrine, and adopting a seabed warfare
strategy.

In 2023, Paris introduced a new Military Programming Law
(LPM), significantly increasing defense spending. This LPM
reflects the impact of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and
places greater emphasis on high-intensity warfare. The law
enhances investment in combat-support capabilities, main-
tenance, combat training, and readiness. It aims to improve
weapons stocks, security of supply, and industrial capacity.
The operational reserve is set to double in size and achieve
higher combat readiness. Additionally, armored and mech-
anized brigades will be partially reorganized to strengthen
their combat support elements and increase deployability. A
new army command and an artillery brigade will be estab-
lished to organize in-depth combat support.

France aims to be capable of deploying a complete division to NATO’s eastern frontier within less than a month by the
end of this decade. Despite its proven ability to support expeditionary forces, France still relies on allies and external
contractors for some strategic and intra-theater military air-transport needs. Political coups have prompted France to
reorganize its presence in the Sahel, resulting in troop withdrawals from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. France’s sophis-
ticated multi-domain defense industry is exemplified by companies like Dassault, Naval Group, and Nexter, with most
procurements being undertaken domestically.