#LPM — Le projet de loi actualisant la loi de programmation militaire est désormais en ligne www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/17/texte...

France aims to spend €76.3B on defense in 2030 However, Paris is still unlikely to reach NATO’s 2035 spending target of 3.5 percent of GDP.

France's government has presented its updated military planning law, with an extra €36 billion for defense by 2030. Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin said the aim is to be able to face "potential major deployment" in an unpredictable timeframe.

Europe needs to control AI for defense, top industry exec says ‘If you don’t have artificial intelligence in your systems, you actually don’t have an army,’ says Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch.

Europe needs to develop its own artificial intelligence capabilities to ensure its militaries can’t be “turned off” by foreign adversaries, Arthur Mensch, the CEO of Europe’s leading AI company warned today.

‘Darwinian’ battle looms for the West’s arms industry, top NATO commander warns Disruptors are looking to snatch lucrative defense ministry contracts from established firms.

“There is a kind of contest playing out between legacy [defense] players and new entrants," NATO's Pierre Vandier, told @politico.eu “There are 2 possible outcomes. Either the startups eventually get absorbed into the legacy world. Or the clash turns more violent"
www.politico.eu/article/west...

‘Darwinian’ battle looms for the West’s arms industry, top NATO commander warns Disruptors are looking to snatch lucrative defense ministry contracts from established firms.

A new generation of defense startups is taking on the world’s biggest arms-makers in a cutthroat competition — and gaining ground.

Oui entre temps le titre a été changé pour des questions de SEO, avec le « document shows » qui a été enlevé et les drones rajoutés

Do not hesitate to read the story before commenting :D
That's the first sentence: PARIS — France will expand missile and drone stocks by up to 400 percent by 2030, according to a draft military planning law seen by POLITICO.

France plans huge missile increase in new defense push, document shows Paris is also mulling the development of a new tank, according to a draft military planning law seen by POLITICO.

France mulls new tank (!!) and plans to increase munitions stockpiles up to 400% www.politico.eu/article/fran...

Trump says he’s considering pulling out of NATO Top U.S. officials have stepped up warnings to military allies, who are refusing American requests to help out with the Iran war and its consequences.

Trump says he’s considering pulling out of NATO
www.politico.eu/article/us-d...

How the wars in Ukraine and Iran made France rethink its military plans France is looking at cheaper options to take down Iranian drones, the country’s deputy air force chief tells POLITICO.

EXCLUSIVE: France is rewriting its war playbook using lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East, as it prepares for a possible confrontation with Russia later this decade.

Must-read:

How the wars in Ukraine and Iran made France rethink its military plans France is looking at cheaper options to take down Iranian drones, the country’s deputy air force chief tells POLITICO.

France is rewriting its war playbook using lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East, the French air force's deputy chief told @politico.eu
Both conflicts are shaping imminent decisions on what weapons Paris will develop, buy and deploy.
www.politico.eu/article/how-...

France wants power to overlook national laws in case of threat French PM Sébastien Lecornu also announces €8.5 billion for munitions by 2030 and a new platform to buy missiles, shells and drones in bulk.

Quite a few announcements from Sébastien Lecornu this week:
- France will spend €8,5 billion for munitions by 2030
- Launch of a wholesale purchasing platform called France Munitions via an SPV
- New powers to overlook norms and rules in case of threat
www.politico.eu/article/fran...

"Sébastien Lecornu reçoit à 15 heures à Matignon ministres et hauts gradés pour parler de l’économie de guerre — une réunion prévue il y a quelques jours, puis décalée pour cause de conseil de défense" ( @laukaya.bsky.social)

France wants power to overlook national laws in case of threat French PM Sébastien Lecornu also announces €8.5 billion for munitions by 2030 and a new platform to buy missiles, shells and drones in bulk.

The French government will propose creating a new legal framework to let the state ignore or adapt national laws when the country faces a threat, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced today.

Europe needs to change mindset to prepare for war, top Danish general warns Top military officers warn Russia could attack NATO territory by the end of the decade.

Denmark's chief of defense staff has warned that European countries are not yet ready for war.

"We have to change our mindset from diagnosis to delivery. We’re no longer very surprised but we’re not also really ready," he said.

Denmark's ambassador to France says at the Paris Defense and Strategy Forum that Copenhagen's purchase of the Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG air defense system is "the largest defense investment in Danish history"

France wanted a war economy. Here’s why Macron’s big plan fizzled. The French president urges companies to invest before signing contracts, but firms want deals first.

French President Emmanuel Macron demanded that industry shift to a war footing in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but four years on the results are disappointing.

Fighter jet plot twist! Poland is looking at joining the Global Combat Air Programme fighter jet project led by Italy, the U.K. and Japan, a Polish minister said Thursday.
pro.politico.eu/news/215221

France, Germany agree to give next-gen fighter one last chance The Future Combat Air System project has stalled because the French and German contractors don’t see eye to eye.

#FCAS groundhog day
France and Germany will try one more time to agree on how to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet — with a deadline in April.
www.politico.eu/article/fran...

Emmanuel Macron urges defense companies to "take risks" without waiting for contracts: "We need manufacturers who can sometimes anticipate future orders. The future is pretty clear: we’ll need to keep investing. Sometimes, don’t wait for the contract to be signed, we’ve always kept our word."

Uh-oh 😱

The Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG has a new opening in Europe. Switzerland is looking to purchase a Europe-made air defense system to make up for American delays, as Patriot deliveries are now expected to be pushed back by four or five years. pro.politico.eu/news/214368

Poland expects Iran war to delay US weapons deliveries The U.S. and Gulf countries are fighting Iranian strikes mainly with Patriot PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptor missiles.

The war in Iran will lead to delays in U.S. weapons deliveries to Europe, Poland's defense minister has said.

a cartoon of two spidermans standing in front of a nypd van ALT: a cartoon of two spidermans standing in front of a nypd van

FCAS in a nutshell:
Emmanuel Macron: It's up to Dassault and Airbus to agree and make this work.
Eric Trappier: It's up to France, Germany to agree on what to do.
Eric Trappier: The stalemate is Airbus' fault.
Airbus: The main problem is Dassault.

French nukes: It's hard to overstate how much of a sea change it is that countries such as the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Germany are open to talking with France about nuclear deterrence. We have been getting used to it — but it's a major, major shift.

Macron shifts French nuclear doctrine by boosting arsenal and involving allies The French president pointed to threats from Russia and China as well as changing U.S. defense priorities as reasons for the atomic buildup.

Emmanuel Macron broke several decades of French nuclear taboos by promising to increase the number of warheads and making explicit France's role in European security. Aware that the clock is ticking, he also pledged to move fast. www.politico.eu/article/macr...

Iranian drones hit French naval air base in UAE — French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed on X that "a hangar at our naval base adjacent to the Emirati base was hit in a drone attack targeting the port of Abu Dhabi." Damage is material damage and no injuries reported.

After decades sheltering under the American umbrella, EU allies are warming to Emmanuel Macron’s offer of nuclear protection.

But the French president is running out of time to deliver the major strategic shift needed to lock it in.

www.politico.eu/article/emma...

Poland’s US Ties at Risk With EU-First Defense Plan, Aide says A top Polish official called into question a core financing instrument designed to boost the European Union’s defense capabilities, saying the €150 billion ($177 billion) loans-for-weapons program ris...

Poland's dispute about the SAFE loan (i.e. the president's reluctance to sign the bill) is actually about fear of the US if Warsaw favors European defense companies.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...