The French annual defense budget will reach €69 billion ($75 billion) in 2030. Keep in mind pensions, soldiers’ benefits and such expenses are not included in the annual budget or the 7-year military budget plan; they are extra-expenses in France. Here’s the official document for the [2024-2030 LPM](https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/16/textes/l16b1033_projet-loi.pdf) (for French speakers only unfortunately) but a few details in the comment.
To me, the most interesting thing is the space section as I kinda expected most of the other stuff. French military assets in the space domain are second to Russia in Europe right now. Well in quantity at least, as France definitely has superior tech in earth observation capabilities for example with the [CSO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composante_Spatiale_Optique) and especially in space-based electromagnetic intelligence with the [CERES](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERES_(satellite).
But assuming Russia continues to be crippled by the consequences of the war in Ukraine in the short and medium term term for its aerospace sector to recover, this new French space plan will put France firmly above Russia in overall capabilities. There is also a change in philosophy as France doesn’t deem space to be just a matter of intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance anymore despite originally being against space militarization (well, thanks China and Russia). Offense against enemy assets and a defensive networks are now part of the posture. The projects include:
– Increased Space Domain Awareness capabilities to detect suspicious or aggressive action in space with the YODA demonstrator (yeah… they really called it YODA… lol). YODA, which is a first in Europe, is a system of space patrol and tracking satellites meant to defend French or possibly allied spatial assets against enemy satellites or enemy anti-satellite weapons/systems. The demonstrator, which will be launched into space this year or the next, will be replaced by the full-fledged EGIDE space action capability (which is still under development) by 2030.
– Anti-satellite lasers in orbit (FLAMHE project) and a ground-based exo-atmospheric weapon system (BLOOMLASE project) are also under development. Both capabilities will be operational before the end of the decade.
– A new electromagnetic intelligence constellation, Céleste, will be developed to replace the CERES.
– New observation capabilities with the IRIS constellation (under development to replace the CSO)
– New military communications satellites with the Syracruse IV constellation + the recently-announced IRIS 2 constellation on EU level (I don’t know why the EU chose to call it IRIS 2 though as it is not the same type of satellite as the solely French IRIS. IRIS 2 is more akin to Starlink than the earth remote sensing satellite the IRIS is).
– Finally, the creation of a space operations command, control, communication and computing centre (C4OS) with the means to pilot actions to, in and from space.
Those are the projects announced in the the military programming law made available by the Ministry of Armed Forces yesterday for the 2024-2030 period but the list of weapons and programs is incomplete in the document as some well-known programs in the other domains are not mentioned, so the space section is probably missing some stuff as well.
**Edit**: I missed these. Not exactly space related but as they’re French weapon projects associated to space tech:
– The French hypersonic glide vehicle project, V-MAX (launched in 2019 by ArianeGroup) will be tested this year.
– Another hypersonic project, V-Max 2, will be launched in this LPM.
– The development of the air-launched ASN4G hypersonic nuclear cruise missile by MBDA France will continue to be financed in this LPM. It will replace the current ASMP-A supersonic nuclear cruise missile in 2035.
– The Aquila hypersonic missile, key component of the French-led TWISTER program (EU anti-ballistic missile interceptor) will continue to be developed by MBDA France as well.
– And there is some stuff as well about high altitude warfare, with the Stratobus demonstrator being one. [It was announced on March 9, 2023](https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/press-releases/thales-alenia-space-signs-contract-european-commission-and-announces-kickoff) that three national projects in the domain had merged to form the “EuroHAPS” program which will be coordinated by Thales Alenia Space. The EuroHAPS will consist of the French reduced-scale “Stratobus” by Thales Alenia Space (a solar-powered airship designed for long-endurance missions and offering large payload capacity), the Italian “Hybrid High Altitude Airship” by CIRA (capable of generating extra lift with a wing airfoil) and the German “Autonomous Stratospheric Balloon System” by ESG and TAO (which consists of a series of three altitude-controllable balloons).
They should just rebuild the Maginot line. I think it deserves another go.
France and Poland just love wasting money on their military rather than using it to address domestic problems such as the pension problem or the birthrate problem. No, pouring all resources into the military in fear of Russia, which cannot even conquer its neighboring country, is the wiser decision.
France 🇫🇷 💪
Wonder how this’ll go after the pensions controversy
7 comments
The French annual defense budget will reach €69 billion ($75 billion) in 2030. Keep in mind pensions, soldiers’ benefits and such expenses are not included in the annual budget or the 7-year military budget plan; they are extra-expenses in France. Here’s the official document for the [2024-2030 LPM](https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/16/textes/l16b1033_projet-loi.pdf) (for French speakers only unfortunately) but a few details in the comment.
To me, the most interesting thing is the space section as I kinda expected most of the other stuff. French military assets in the space domain are second to Russia in Europe right now. Well in quantity at least, as France definitely has superior tech in earth observation capabilities for example with the [CSO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composante_Spatiale_Optique) and especially in space-based electromagnetic intelligence with the [CERES](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERES_(satellite).
But assuming Russia continues to be crippled by the consequences of the war in Ukraine in the short and medium term term for its aerospace sector to recover, this new French space plan will put France firmly above Russia in overall capabilities. There is also a change in philosophy as France doesn’t deem space to be just a matter of intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance anymore despite originally being against space militarization (well, thanks China and Russia). Offense against enemy assets and a defensive networks are now part of the posture. The projects include:
– Increased Space Domain Awareness capabilities to detect suspicious or aggressive action in space with the YODA demonstrator (yeah… they really called it YODA… lol). YODA, which is a first in Europe, is a system of space patrol and tracking satellites meant to defend French or possibly allied spatial assets against enemy satellites or enemy anti-satellite weapons/systems. The demonstrator, which will be launched into space this year or the next, will be replaced by the full-fledged EGIDE space action capability (which is still under development) by 2030.
– Anti-satellite lasers in orbit (FLAMHE project) and a ground-based exo-atmospheric weapon system (BLOOMLASE project) are also under development. Both capabilities will be operational before the end of the decade.
– A new electromagnetic intelligence constellation, Céleste, will be developed to replace the CERES.
– New observation capabilities with the IRIS constellation (under development to replace the CSO)
– New military communications satellites with the Syracruse IV constellation + the recently-announced IRIS 2 constellation on EU level (I don’t know why the EU chose to call it IRIS 2 though as it is not the same type of satellite as the solely French IRIS. IRIS 2 is more akin to Starlink than the earth remote sensing satellite the IRIS is).
– Finally, the creation of a space operations command, control, communication and computing centre (C4OS) with the means to pilot actions to, in and from space.
Those are the projects announced in the the military programming law made available by the Ministry of Armed Forces yesterday for the 2024-2030 period but the list of weapons and programs is incomplete in the document as some well-known programs in the other domains are not mentioned, so the space section is probably missing some stuff as well.
**Edit**: I missed these. Not exactly space related but as they’re French weapon projects associated to space tech:
– The French hypersonic glide vehicle project, V-MAX (launched in 2019 by ArianeGroup) will be tested this year.
– Another hypersonic project, V-Max 2, will be launched in this LPM.
– The development of the air-launched ASN4G hypersonic nuclear cruise missile by MBDA France will continue to be financed in this LPM. It will replace the current ASMP-A supersonic nuclear cruise missile in 2035.
– The Aquila hypersonic missile, key component of the French-led TWISTER program (EU anti-ballistic missile interceptor) will continue to be developed by MBDA France as well.
– And there is some stuff as well about high altitude warfare, with the Stratobus demonstrator being one. [It was announced on March 9, 2023](https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/press-releases/thales-alenia-space-signs-contract-european-commission-and-announces-kickoff) that three national projects in the domain had merged to form the “EuroHAPS” program which will be coordinated by Thales Alenia Space. The EuroHAPS will consist of the French reduced-scale “Stratobus” by Thales Alenia Space (a solar-powered airship designed for long-endurance missions and offering large payload capacity), the Italian “Hybrid High Altitude Airship” by CIRA (capable of generating extra lift with a wing airfoil) and the German “Autonomous Stratospheric Balloon System” by ESG and TAO (which consists of a series of three altitude-controllable balloons).
They should just rebuild the Maginot line. I think it deserves another go.
France and Poland just love wasting money on their military rather than using it to address domestic problems such as the pension problem or the birthrate problem. No, pouring all resources into the military in fear of Russia, which cannot even conquer its neighboring country, is the wiser decision.
France 🇫🇷 💪
Wonder how this’ll go after the pensions controversy
COFIDIS, Cetelem ?
Holy shit is this another win for Putin?