Air defense: French armies facing high

During the month of March, on the occasion of an event organized by the AJD (Association of Defense Journalists), Mer et Marine had the opportunity to meet General Jérôme Bellanger, the Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Army. This was an opportunity for the CEMAAE to address the short and medium-term challenges of anti-aircraft warfare, a question that goes beyond the responsibility of the Air Force and will be of interest to all French military personnel, especially sailors.

In a previous article, we detailed the statements made by General of the Air Arm Jérôme Bellanger regarding the role of French aerospace forces in managing future conflicts. At a meeting organized by the AJD on March 9, the CEMAAE discussed the lessons learned from recent conflicts, from the Ukrainian conflict to the war in Iran, including the American intervention in Venezuela, and outlined future offensive capabilities for French aerospace forces, including Rafale F5, supersonic cruise missiles STRATUS-RS, new ballistic and aeroballistic missiles.

Moving towards a multi-layered defensive strategy, General Bellanger emphasized the need for coordination between offensive and defensive strategies, highlighting the importance of offensive capabilities to target and destroy enemy combat systems and ammunition stocks, as well as defensive capabilities to intercept drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.

Today, French forces have recognized expertise in anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare, notably with the Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles used by both the SAMP/T Mamba land system and naval vessels. The Aster family, historically used by French, Italian, and British forces, is now being positioned in Greece and Denmark for future deployment.

General Bellanger mentioned the establishment of an international ground-to-air defense school in France to meet the needs of Denmark and other European operators such as Sweden, Croatia, and Slovakia. However, France and Europe must strengthen their interception capabilities, especially against high-altitude threats like ballistic and hypersonic missiles, as well as low-altitude and short-range threats, particularly in the realm of anti-drone warfare.

The development and deployment of anti-drone systems are crucial for all branches of the French armed forces. Efforts are being made to enhance protection against drone threats at sea and on land, including the use of existing high and low spectrum tools like the Aster and MICA missiles and Mistral missiles for short-range protection across various combat scenarios.

Stay tuned to witness the increase in demand for anti-ballistic and anti-drone capabilities, as well as the challenges and opportunities in the defense industry in the coming years.

(Source: Mer et Marine)