France Can’t Deploy New Air-Launched Nuclear-Tipped Missiles Before 2035
Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed his country take over America’s role as the “nuclear protector” of the “old continent”. Apparently, the French nuclear umbrella would encompass the entire EU and “deter Russia”. Macron tried to justify this by claiming “[President Vladimir] Putin is now threatening all of Europe” and declared that “Russian aggression knows no borders”. He insisted the EU/NATO “needs to prepare”.
It would seem he’s trying to fill the power vacuum as the US is looking to shift its strategic focus to China and the Asia-Pacific. The endemically and pathologically Russophobic United Kingdom seems to be supporting the French initiative, as it falls perfectly in line with its strategy of pushing continental powers against each other.
However, while Paris is daydreaming about “protecting all of Europe”, the reality of its capabilities shows that it can barely defend itself. Namely, during a visit to Haute-Saône, Macron confirmed “the arrival of the new version of the ‘Rafale’ fighter jet” at Air Base 116 in Luxeuil-les-Bains, which will reportedly benefit from a modernization investment of €1.5 billion ($1.64 billion).
According to local media, the French president wants to “make Air Base 116 in Luxeuil-les-Bains, in Haute-Saône, the site for the future ‘Rafale’ models, the key components of nuclear deterrence”. During a speech delivered on March 18, Macron also announced that France would “increase and accelerate orders for ‘Rafale’ jets,” which he said was “an imperative in the face of the geopolitical shift”.
However, there’s just one problem – the two new “Rafale” squadrons (around 40 aircraft in total) won’t be deployed to Air Base 116 in Luxeuil-les-Bains before 2035. According to Macron, 2,000 military personnel and civilians will need at least ten years to join the base that’s slated to be modernized. He also added that “Luxeuil-les-Bains will be the first base to host the next version of the ‘Rafale’ and its hypersonic nuclear missile by 2035”, calling it “a symbol of the renewal of the moderniza
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