France may be the main military power in the EU -- but is it really in a position to respond to new security threats? And what resources do the armed forces have to meet security challenges or any wars of the future?

Paris

France possesses significant military assets, including tanks, combat aircraft, submarines, an aircraft carrier, and nuclear deterrence, as well as experience from overseas operations. However, experts and officials have raised concerns about the country's preparedness for contemporary threats such as drone warfare, missile attacks, and hybrid tactics like cyber interference.

The French military is facing shortages in some key areas, including limited stocks of air defense missiles and a gap in next-generation ground air defense systems, which are not expected until a future date. The government is also working to address hybrid threats by recruiting expert personnel, aiming to strengthen its ability to respond to new and emerging security challenges.

Is the French military ready for the future?

The French armed forces have tanks, guns, combat aircraft, submarines, an aircraft carrier and a nuclear deterrence. It also has a wealth of know-how acquired during numerous overseas operations. But is France equipped to deal with the more intense conflict scene today? People in Kiev in Ukraine are being targeted by drones. Up to 600 kamikaze drones a day have been sent in recent weeks by the Russians into the heart of Ukrainian cities. The drones also threaten soldiers in front-line trenches. Could France cope in a war like this? No, says a former French air force general. The discovery of the Ukrainian theatre is all the little drones for the infantry used on the battlefield or against tanks. It's mainly the land army that needs to equip itself with this type of equipment to detect, intercept, fight and destroy the opponent's positions. A new threat? Missile attacks launched from Yemen by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia. A Liberian ship was hit and sank in the Red Sea a few days ago. The French army is itself threatened by the Houthis and responds from a frigate with Aster missiles. But does France have enough of them? There are only several hundred in stock. Each missile costs one and a half million euros. Another threat is wars in which missiles rain down, such as in this Iranian attack on Israel. France has just a limited number of air defence weapons systems. The French armed forces minister says that France is in a capability gap because past choices mean the government will have to wait until 2026 for the next generation of ground air defence systems. There are also hybrid warfare threats. With Russia, for example, accused of cutting underwater communication cables that provide internet links, or of election interference, or spreading fake news. France also wants to make up for lost time in tackling such threats and hire expert personnel to do so.

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