France is reassessing its air defense strategy and exploring more affordable ways to combat drones after studying the battlefields of ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
According to the newspaper Politicothe French military is saying that both conflicts are shaping decisions about which weapons France will develop, acquire and deploy.
“We are taking everything we can learn from Ukraine, especially in terms of developing capabilities – both in the context of the Middle East and in potential future developments on the flank [leste]”, shared the general Dominique Tardifdeputy commander of the French Air and Space Force.
Currently, French fighter jets and air defense systems are deployed in the Middle East to intercept Iranian drones of the type Shahed. attack helicopters Tiger were also deployed to the Persian Gulf region for these missions.
In addition to the current war in the Middle East, the high-intensity fighting in Ukraine has also exposed gaps in NATO’s arsenals. According to the portal MilitarnyiNATO’s armed forces are not yet fully equipped to combat relatively low-cost threats in a cost-effective manner, as the missiles used are significantly more expensive than the drones they intercept.
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Cheaper options include using helicopters to intercept drones and equip fighter jets Rafale with laser-guided missiles. “We are working on a number of projects to try to reduce the cost of destroying drones Shahed”, explains Tardif.
This comes as Paris is preparing to launch an updated military programming law that presupposes increasing ammunition stocks and expanding their production. Overall, the country plans to spend 8.5 billion euros to replenish its arsenals by 2030.
Photo: MBDA. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
