Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

France to invest in drones and space, in €413 billion military budget

France to invest in drones and space, in €413 billion military budget

The French military is to be set at €413 billion over the next seven years.

A year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, France's government presented the new Military Programming Budget (LPM) on Tuesday, which shows an increase of €100 billion compared with the previous seven-year budget.

"This LPM is an unprecedented increase in the defence budget," said Sébastien Lecornu, Frances Minister of the Armed Forces, who admitted that certain programmes took priority over others.

The increased spending plans are justified by "the very rapid deterioration of the geopolitical context" marked by the war in Ukraine, but also "the appearance of numerous technological leaps which have a cost," the ministry said.

The aim is to deal with "operational emergencies", particularly in terms of drones and anti-drone warfare, one of the weaknesses of the French military system revealed by the war in Ukraine, but also to cushion the effects of inflation.

And despite a clear increase in resources, not all the planned needs will be met.

"Some equipment may not arrive in as large a number as expected by 2030."


Scorpion programme suffers


The Scorpion programme to renew the army's armoured component with interconnected vehicles will bear the brunt of budget and procurement decisions.

A French VBMR-L "Serval" (Vehicule Blinde Multirole-Leger / Light Multirole Armoured Vehicle).


There will be about a hundred fewer Jaguars armoured vehicles in 2030 compared with the 300 initially planned; and the delivery of "a few hundred" Griffon and Seval armoured vehicles will be postponed until after 2030 -- instead the lifecycle of VAB and AMX-10RC vehicles will be extended, of which a few dozen have been promised to Ukraine.

Similarly, the deliveries of 42 Rafale fighter aircraft planned between 2027 and 2030 have been delayed until 2032. In 2030, the Air Force will have 137 Rafales against an initial target of 185.

Meanwhile the French Navy will only be able to count on three of the five defence and intervention frigates it should have in 2030.

Programmes linked to nuclear deterrence or the timetable for delivery of the next generation aircraft carrier in 2038, will be maintained.

French soldiers from the 1st Regiment Marines Infantry (RIMA) practice shooting with a tank AMX 10RC.


In the space sector, which is marked by growing conflict, Paris will finance studies on the next generation of Celeste electromagnetic intelligence satellites and the successor to the Yoda patrol satellite programme, designed to keep curious spacecraft away from French satellites.

The third Syracuse IV communications satellite has been abandoned.

As a result of the lessons learned in Ukraine, Paris also wants to increase its efforts on ammunition and artillery with Caesar guns and the replacement in 2027 of unitary rocket launchers (LRU) by American Himars or a European solution. "This topic is not decided", according to the ministry.

The LPM also provides for the financing of the Future Air Combat System (Scaf) demonstrator and studies on the future Franco-German MGCS tank.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×