France is planning changes to its nuclear defense policy and is preparing to strengthen its nuclear arsenal and expand its scope so that the rest of Europe is also protected, writes the BBC.
French President Emmanuel Macron explained that the changes are planned to respond to an increasingly unstable strategic environment. He noted that the next 50 years will be the era of nuclear weapons.
Addressing naval officers at a submarine base near Brest, Macron said that the number of nuclear warheads at France’s disposal would be increased; the country currently has about 300 nuclear warheads. The president also announced the launch of a new nuclear submarine, “The Invincible,” in 2036. Eight more European countries have agreed to participate in the new defense strategy: Britain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk referred to the decision on the X, saying that Poles are arming themselves with their friends so that enemies will never dare to attack.
Macron said that
eight partner countries could participate in joint exercises and also offer their military bases for the deployment of nuclear bombers.
This would allow the French Strategic Air Forces (FAS) to spread across the continent, making it harder for the enemy to predict an attack. Macron added that France’s allies would also participate in the development of additional defensive measures for the new nuclear doctrine, and would create satellite-based warning systems, a new air defense system to shoot down drones and missiles, and develop long-range missiles.
Officials have called the changes to France’s strategic thinking the most significant since the 1960s, but many of the guidelines of the original concept, developed by then-President Charles de Gaulle, have been retained. This means that no concrete guarantees will be given to partners, and the decision on when to launch nuclear missiles will be in the hands of the French president. Macron said the aim remains to show the enemy that an attack on France would be met with a disproportionate price.
Until now, there has been deliberate uncertainty about what France considers its “critical interests” – those against which an attack would trigger a nuclear response. However, in recent years, the French government has made it clear that its interests also include those of all of Europe. Macron’s idea of a broader defense has taken on a clearer shape.
France already has a cooperation agreement with Europe’s other nuclear power, Britain. The British recently participated in the FAS exercises for the first time.
Shortly after Macron’s speech, France and Germany announced joint plans for closer cooperation on nuclear defense.
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