French firms to triple 155mm ammo production, boost weapons output

PARIS — French protection companies have boosted manufacturing of self-propelled weapons, artillery shells, fighter jets and anti-air missiles, the nation’s armed forces minister mentioned Monday.

The announcement by Sébastien Lecornu comes as France goals to spice up the supply of weaponry to Ukraine, which is combating off a Russian invasion, and greater than a yr after French President Emmanuel Macron known as for the nation to embrace a “struggle economic system.”

France plans to extend its month-to-month deliveries of 155mm shells, from 1,000 per thirty days in January 2023 to three,000 per thirty days in January 2024, Lecornu mentioned.

“Concrete outcomes of a shift to a struggle economic system,” Lecornu wrote on X, previously often called Twitter, following a go to to an area Nexter Methods facility in Roanne, which manufactures the truck-mounted 155mm howitzer Caesar. “To replenish our capacities transferred to Ukraine and to proceed to produce all of our allies.”

Nexter has raised manufacturing of the Caesar to 6 per thirty days from two firstly of 2022, Lecornu added, and the tempo will improve to eight methods per thirty days from the beginning of subsequent yr.

The corporate is offering operational help for all Caesar methods in service in Ukraine, utilizing digital actuality to information Ukrainian engineers by way of upkeep operations, Nexter CEO Nicolas Chamussy instructed Protection Information at an trade discussion board exterior Paris this month. He mentioned a complete of 49 Caesar methods have been despatched to Ukraine, together with 19 from Denmark.

Lecornu had mentioned final month that Nexter will provide an extra six Caesar weapons to Ukraine, along with 18 already provided from French Military shares and 12 that Ukraine acquired immediately from Nexter’s mum or dad agency KNDS.

In the meantime, MBDA has doubled its manufacturing of the Mistral short-range surface-to-air missile to 40 per thirty days; Dassault Aviation has tripled manufacturing of the Rafale fighter plane to 3 per thirty days; and Thales has tripled its radar manufacturing capability, in response to Lecornu.

Russia’s ongoing struggle towards Ukraine has meant France should shift to a long-term struggle economic system, Macron mentioned on the Eurosatory protection present in June 2022, whereas the nation wants land-based weapon methods and enough funding for nationwide safety.

France handed a army funds in August for the 2024-2030 interval that enhances protection spending subsequent yr by 7.5%, to €47.2 billion (U.S. $49.6 billion).