Drones, munitions, Catherine Vautrin announces 25 billion euros for the Armed Forces budget

France is investing heavily in its armed forces: €25 billion will be invested by 2030 in ammunition and new military technologies, announced the Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, on BFMTV on Thursday, April 9. This massive envelope includes €3.5 billion this year and aims to strengthen the sovereignty and autonomy of the French army. “We will increase our stocks of ammunition, but not all types of ammunition,” specified the minister, recalling that the armed forces had already made significant contributions to expenditure reduction efforts between 2008 and 2017, with the closure of bases and regiments.

“When the president of the Republic is elected, the Armed Forces budget is €32 billion, next year, the Armed Forces budget will be over €60 billion, which means that in ten years, we will have doubled the Armed Forces budget,” she declared. Given the tense international situation, with the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, France needs “an operational army.” “We need ‘more planes, more boats’ but also ‘to train our forces’,” explained Catherine Vautrin.

31 billion euros in military orders

“On ammunition, we can see that the fight has changed. Today, with a €50,000 drone, you can cause major destruction. We need to equip ourselves and have what we call ‘effectors’ that can stop these drones. So, we need to have new weapons,” she continued. Among the new acquisitions, drones of all sizes will be deployed, ranging from models for individual soldier equipment to larger drones, “resembling helicopters”, capable of “being the first to enter the ground.”

The minister also emphasized the industrial and sovereign dimension of these investments. Military orders will continue to grow: €20 billion in 2025 and €31 billion in 2026, allowing not only to modernize the forces but also to guarantee strategic independence. “It’s an upward curve that not only equips our armies but also keeps this absolutely crucial French sovereignty, because our planes are French, our frigates are French,” emphasized Catherine Vautrin.