French President Emmanuel Macron has placed France at the center of efforts for European military reinforcement, amid indications of improved relations between the US and Russia.

As the U.S. reduces its military safeguarding of Europe and Russia becomes an increasingly significant security concern for the continent, the European Union is urging greater financial investment and collaboration on shared defense initiatives amongst its member states.

Nevertheless, even with Macron’s aspirations, doubts remain about the capabilities of France’s military, ranked as the seventh most powerful worldwide and the foremost within the EU, according to an annual assessment by

Global Firepower

,, possesses the necessary qualities to head this project.

Powerful on paper, but lacking in practice

Following his inauguration in 2017, Macron significantly boosted France’s defense expenditure.

The Military Programming Act (LPM) for 2019-2025 allotted €295 billion for defense purposes. In the most recent iteration of the act covering 2024-2030, this amount was increased to €413 billion—a rise of 40%.

Even with these investments, France is still trying to close the gap.

Senator Cédric Perrin, who belongs to the Republican party and heads the Senate’s Defense Committee, recognized advancements but stated that the current funding levels are still not adequate enough to address emerging threats. He pointed out issues like Russia’s comprehensive military action in Ukraine starting in 2022.

According to Global Firepower, the nation’s armed forces comprise approximately 200,000 active troops along with 44,000 reserves.

The French military includes 225 Leclerc main battle tanks and 79 Caesar self-propelled howitzers. The naval fleet consists of one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, four nuclear ballistic missile submarines, and 15 frigates, whereas the air force oversees 197 fighter planes.

The nation likewise retains approximately 290 nuclear warheads as part of its deterrent approach.

However, various issues persist. For instance, the reserves of ammunition are dangerously depleted.

In 2024, France aimed to manufacture 100,000 155-mm shells annually, which is a standard ammunition size for NATO artillery pieces utilized in various field guns and howitzers.

This represents a significant enhancement compared to the 6,000 units produced each year from 2012 to 2017. However, considering that the Ukrainian military fires 7,000 shells daily, France still faces considerable ground to cover.

A 2023 report by

France’s National Assembly

uncovered that reserves have reached an all-time low and would deplete within a matter of weeks should a long-lasting confrontation occur.

The contradiction in weapons sales

France boasts a strong defense industry and ranks as the globe’s second largest arms exporter, according to findings from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

latest analysis.

However, it’s crucial to differentiate between French weapons exports and the military resources of the country’s armed forces, as stated by Emmanuel Dupuy, a military analyst and the president of the Institute for European Perspective and Security Studies (IPSE).

Dupuy contended that the military supply chain in France has weaknesses.

“We’ve emerged as the top European supplier of armaments through our sales of Rafale combat aircraft and Caesar artillery pieces, but we face a shortage of ammunition since we lack the capability to produce it domestically anymore,” he explained to Euronews.

Perrin mentioned that although France produced many high-quality items, this did not necessarily imply that the nation purchased substantial amounts of such products.

Dupuy concurred, stating that “maybe we ought to begin with the idea that we cannot be a trading powerhouse unless we are willing to secure the necessary resources for our own protection.”

France’s military industry depends on global suppliers for essential components. For example, as Dupuy notes, French ammunition producers obtain gunpowder from Australia.

Last week, French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Finance Minister Eric Lombard officially opened a new gunpowder manufacturing facility for Eurenco, an enterprise specializing in propellants and explosive materials.

The facility will manufacture approximately 1,200 tons of gunpowder pellets annually, enough to fill roughly 100,000 artillery shells, designed for use in

Cannons used by Caesar have been positioned in Ukraine.

, among other countries.

What does the French army lack?

Even with its strong military resources, France falls short in various key aspects, the specialists cautioned.

“investing in force projection abilities is essential — this includes acquiring heavy lift transports for deploying significant numbers of personnel and armored units overseas,” stated Dupuy.

A critical shortfall lies in building additional drones, which have revolutionized warfare methods, particularly in Ukraine.

A specific area of worry is surveillance.

In the age of cyber warfare and digital spying, France needs to enhance its capacity for detecting and reacting to threats promptly, as stated by Dupuy.

He further stated that both France and its European Union partners should emancipate themselves from their dependence on American-made Patriot missile systems.

He emphasized that we can no longer solely rely on the Patriot air defense systems and should instead create our own European alternatives.

Lack of EU cooperation

France’s military strategy has historically emphasized expeditionary operations over extensive direct confrontations.

Perrin observed that France’s military was set up “for intervention everywhere,” yet he pointed out that their “dispersed” character restricts them in terms of scope.

He maintained that France, similar to other European countries, could participate in significant conflicts solely “as part of a NATO and EU alliance.”

Nevertheless, collaboration within Europe for the weapons industry is still an ongoing endeavor.

Dupuy stated that the continent needs to enhance cooperation regarding purchasing processes.

“We require a reduction in the variety of equipment across European military forces—possibly through a shared European aircraft instead of separate national initiatives,” he noted.

Nevertheless, Perrin expressed cautious optimism regarding France’s situation.

new military initiative

.

He stated, ‘We’re moving in the correct direction. The next step is securing the funding to process the orders.’

The French government plans to secure an extra €5 billion in combined public and private financing for the defense industry, as reported by the Ministry of Finance last week.

Nevertheless, the pressure on France’s public finances limits its ability to increase defense expenditures. Macron plans to elevate the military budget from 2% of the nation’s GDP to between 3% and 3.5% in the coming years.