France Defence Upgrade Plan: French President Emmanuel Macron has revealed plans to buy more Rafale fighter jets for the French Air and Space Force. These new jets will be able to carry nuclear weapons, helping France keep its strong nuclear defense. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces shared that 40 more Rafale jets will join two new squadrons focused on nuclear missions. This comes after an earlier order for 30 jets, 20 for the Air and Space Force and 10 for the Navy.
Right now, the French Air and Space Force has 108 Rafale jets, and the French Navy has 41. Dassault Aviation, the company that makes these jets, is working to build them faster. They plan to make five jets every month by 2026, up from just two per month in 2024.
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Along with buying new jets, France will also upgrade Base aérienne 116 in Luxeuil-Saint Sauveur, where nuclear-capable jets are based. According to the Defence Industry Europe, the upgrades will cost around €1.5 billion and will help the base get ready for the new Rafale F5 jets, which are expected to arrive by 2035.
France’s nuclear defense currently uses ASMP-A missiles, which carry small nuclear warheads. However, the country is already working on a new missile called the ASN4G, which will be much faster and more advanced. This new missile will replace the current ones in the future.
President Macron explained that these plans are important because the world is becoming more unstable, and Europe needs to be stronger in defending itself. He said France should spend more on defense, raising it to 3% or 3.5% of its GDP, up from the current 2%.
