La Francia accelera il piano di riarmo, gli occhi più combattenti e fregate Rafale

> In lieu of France facing “threats over time and in potentially multiple theatres” Lecornu disclosed that Paris intends on acquiring between 20 to 30 additional Dassault Rafale fourth generation fighter jets, raising its frigate fleet from 15 to 18 ships and vowed to speed up the pace of drone and EW procurements. He did not share the exact type of aircraft or electronic systems in question or any costs involved.

As far as I know the frigate types aren’t disclosed. My guess would be more [FDI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_and_intervention_frigate) since they’re in production, but depending on how serious they are they could up-gun them similar to the Greek units.

US arms exports are skyrocketing, so with Trump being a self proclaimed salesman is his plan to push Europe to buy more arms, and lots from the US?

In his view it would not only increase US sales (GDP) but reduce US government spending.

European countries are worried about increasing their defence spending. Why don’t they invest defence spending in developing homegrown military equipment. Create high value jobs, investing in national manufacturing, and build things they can export rather than import from US – crash Trump’s master plan.

#PRÉCIS: France Ramps Up Military Spending Amid Growing Security Fears

France is pushing ahead with a significant rearmament plan, pledging to boost its air and naval power with more fighter jets, warships, and advanced electronic warfare systems. Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called on Europe to step up its defence capabilities, warning of threats that could emerge across multiple fronts.

Paris is preparing to acquire up to 30 additional Rafale fighter jets, expand its fleet of frigates from 15 to 18, and speed up investment in drones and electronic warfare technology. This acceleration comes as Europe faces mounting pressure to take greater responsibility for its security, particularly in light of shifting US foreign policy under Donald Trump. The former president’s recent remarks about Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, have raised concerns over Washington’s long-term commitment to supporting Kyiv against Russian aggression.

Lecornu has clarified that France sees its military industry as a crucial player in this effort, urging French manufacturers to work with Ukrainian firms to bolster weapons production. Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron has taken the diplomatic route, meeting Trump in Washington and warning that a Russian victory in Ukraine would be a catastrophic mistake.

France has already committed to buying 42 Rafale jets under a previous deal worth over €5 billion, with deliveries set to continue into the next decade. Its navy is also on track to receive five new FDI frigates, with the first, Amiral Ronarc’h, expected to arrive this year. The latest expansion plans, however, will require new funding, with the government considering innovative financial measures, including a scheme that could allow the public to invest in national defence.

With a key financial meeting set for March, France appears determined to maintain its military strength, ensuring that it is prepared for any potential threats in an increasingly uncertain world.

That’s good, but before ordering more platforms, we should start with securing more ammo/missiles. The current rafale fleet would expend the entire stock of missiles within a couple days at the rates observed in Ukraine.