1.9 million soldiers and 7,000 tanks in 2030: open war with Russia top concern of French Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.

French Defense prepares for possible war with Russia French Defense prepares for possible war with Russia. General Mandon warns of a Russian army reaching 1.9 million soldiers by 2030 and calls for an unprecedented budget effort.

The possibility of an “open war” with Russia remains “my top concern,” declared the Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces, General Fabien Mandon, on Thursday, April 9, 2026. He had previously warned of a potential “shock in three, four years.”

“The enduring threat of Russia on our continent, with an open war […] remains my top concern in terms of army preparedness,” General Mandon stated to members of the Defense Commission during a hearing on updating military programming to strengthen the defense budget by 2030.

From 1.3 million Russian soldiers in 2025 to 1.9 million in 2030

“Each country has the freedom to evolve, but in any case, the projections we have today […] show that Russia, by 2025, will have 1.3 million soldiers, with a projection of 1.9 million by 2030,” he emphasized.

The number of heavy Russian tanks is expected to increase from 4,000 in 2025 to 7,000 in 2030, while the number of combat ships in the Russian navy “is expected to remain between 230 and 240,” according to him.

“This is absolutely not dogmatic; it is based on intelligence,” he insisted, justifying the need to strengthen the French defense capabilities.

For the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, “this military programming law (LPM) is crucial for the defense of our citizens, our country, and our interests.”

“It is necessary to raise awareness, not to cause alarm”

“We are in a period of danger. We need to raise awareness, not alarm, because we need this defense investment,” General Mandon argued.

The bill to update the LPM presented on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in the Council of Ministers, provides an additional 36 billion euros for the Armed Forces in addition to the 413 billion allocated for the period 2024-2030.

The “use of force inhibition,” and the “ongoing strong terrorist threat in the Middle East, Asia, and also in Africa,” also justify the effort required from the French for their defense.

Moreover, “we can no longer have the same level of confidence in American commitment to our security,” even if “dialogue with American military authorities” remains of “great quality,” he added.

Facing the “simultaneity of crises,” the priorities of the United States “are not the same priorities as those of our country or our continent, and they have been warning us for months, saying ‘strengthen yourselves, we may not be able to cover your needs when you need us,'” he recalled.