PARIS, France: France is to ramp up explosive drone stocks by up to 400 per cent by 2030, draft legislation showed on Wednesday, as the country seeks to accelerate rearmament to face an aggressive Russia.
The military spending bill was presented after France´s top commanders said the country must be ready in the next few years for a clash with Russia and that Nato should adapt to produce more weapons and faster.
The government on Wednesday presented its updated military planning law, adding another 36 billion euros ($42 billion) to France´s defence spending between 2024 and 2030, on top of the 413 billion euros ($483 billion) already allocated.
“Our armed forces must be capable of responding to a major engagement within a timeframe that none of us can predict,” Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said following a meeting of top defence and security officials.
According to the revised legislation, which is due to be presented to parliament, the annual budget would reach 76.3 billion euros in 2030, representing 2.5 percent of gross domestic product, compared with 57.1 billion euros for this year. The legislation does not foresee an increase in the size of France´s armed forces, which remains at 10,000 active-duty personnel, 225 combat aircraft and 15 first-rate frigates.
