The representative for Cher, François Cormier-Bouligeon (Renaissance), co-authored a report on French defense sovereignty, presented on Wednesday, April 1st. He argues for a return of the production of many technologies to national soil.
“My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. If I turned it off, all their frontlines would collapse,” billionaire Elon Musk said in a threatening quote as mentioned by MP Aurélien Saintoul from La France insoumise during a presentation before the National Assembly’s defense committee on April 1st. This intervention was to introduce a report, co-written with François Cormier-Bouligeon, on the “dependencies of France vis-à-vis abroad.”
“We have one of the most sovereign armies in the world, the most sovereign in Europe,” explained the MP from Cher, emphasizing French defense industry competence in various fields such as land, air, sea, submarines, and space. However, he acknowledged that “our [nuclear] deterrence is 100% sovereign,” and France can equip itself independently with combat tanks, artillery, anti-tank weapons, fighter jets, and helicopters.
The report stresses the need to regain this defensive sovereignty in light of “the possibility of future territorial infringements on other European countries” after the example of Ukraine. Also, considering the “current behavior of the United States [which] casts doubt on the strength of the alliance.” In summary, if the American ally decided to cut off access to certain technologies for France overnight, the country would have no immediate alternative.
The MPs delve into various issues surrounding French defense sovereignty across 110 pages, highlighting the key areas that need attention. They note a decrease in defense spending in France from 2.5% to 1.8% of the state budget between 1995 and 2017, impacting the production capacity of the French arms industry significantly. The report emphasizes the importance of enhancing public investment to “relocalize and structure the national small-caliber ammunition sector,” among other recommendations to reduce dependencies on foreign countries.
The article also touches on areas of dependence like artificial intelligence, electronics warfare, drones, and the surveillance industry, outlining France’s reliance on foreign suppliers for crucial components. They raise concerns about potential technological gaps and stress the importance of diversifying sources to mitigate risks of external influence on critical defense technologies.
The report concludes by underscoring the need for increased public spending focusing on domestic production and research to avoid vulnerabilities due to foreign dependencies. It highlights the urgency of investing in emerging technologies to keep up with global advancements and ensure France’s defense capabilities meet future challenges.
The article was approved unanimously by the defense committee on April 1st after presenting these critical findings and recommendations.
