The French White Paper on defence and national security
A new military strategy: increased freedom of action for France
Increasing the freedom of action for France is the core objective of the military strategy as outlined by the White Paper.
This military strategy is part of a larger strategy of defence and national security, encompassing other public policies such as homeland security, diplomacy and economic policy.
Five strategic functions
The military strategy to be implemented identifies five strategic functions: knowledge and anticipation, prevention, deterrence, protection and intervention.
Two major characteristics
France must avoid dissipating its assets if it intends to act decisively in locations where its interests are at stake. Therefore, its capabilities will concentrate on those geographical directions deemed most significant.
Also, the international environment will remain uncertain, which means that French involvement in an inter-State war cannot be ruled out. The possibility of major conflict must be taken into account when setting forth the force structure of the next fifteen years.
The main strategic axis
For France, the main strategic axis is the high-risk areas extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean, with possible extension towards Asia.
Key parameters
- Multinationality and interoperability
Most of our military operations are likely to occur in a multinational framework. As a result, interoperability with our allies is a prerequisite for any multinational military operation.
- Versatility
Future operations are likely to last and, over time, to evolve significantly. Both parameters: evolution in time and diversity of the many simultaneous dimensions of military operations require a responsive and versatile intervention capability, covering the full spectrum of operations.
- Force protection
Future operations are no less dangerous than before, quite to the contrary. Casualties on a theatre of operations have a strong impact on national perception and support at home. Protecting the force is not only a moral imperative, but also a strategic and tactical requirement.
- War in contact with the population
Operations occur more and more among and in the midst of populations, which are both the objective and the environment. Operating in the midst of population requires an appropriate military culture and adequate equipment. The French Armed forces will continue to develop specific capabilities and skills to that end.
- The human factor
Training and educating soldiers, providing them with clear and legitimate goals, is critical to success in the field, now and for the foreseeable future more than ever before. The human factor remains prevalent, as will morale and cohesion of units in combat.
- The quantitative factor
Even for armed forces that have developed all of the above, “Quantity has a quality of its own” and remains a key factor in most operations, whether they take place at sea, in the air or on the ground.
Operational superiority
France will continue to master those technologies that ensure operational advantage over all plausible adversaries.
The emphasis will be on:
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- Means of information, communication, space-based assets;
- Force protection, particularly against cbrn and emerging threats;
- Long-range precision strike;
- The capability to operate in an urban environment, in contact with the population;
- Naval superiority, especially in littoral waters;
- Air superiority;
- Air mobility.
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