France is seeking defense contracts with European countries that currently purchase American weapons, President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the French regional press. This is yet another indication of the real goal behind the major European rearmament project spearheaded by Germany and France.
Switching from U.S. to French Arms
Macron revealed that he had asked arms manufacturers whether they could turn to European nations accustomed to buying American products. He argued that countries purchasing Patriot missile systems should be offered the Franco-Italian SAMP/T system instead, while those buying F-35 fighter jets should consider the Rafale. According to him, increasing production would help reduce costs and streamline labor organization and training.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, France has made significant advancements in defense, Macron emphasized. “In 2021, we produced ten Caesar self-propelled howitzers, while this year, we will manufacture 82,” he noted.
Aside from a handful of large corporations, the French defense industry comprises around 4,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, whose representatives were also expected to attend the meeting. According to the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France is the world’s second-largest arms exporter, though it remains far behind the top exporter—the United States.
In recent days, the French president and government have been holding meetings aimed at rallying public opinion and political elites in favor of strengthening national and European defense. On Thursday, Prime Minister François Bayrou and Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu held closed-door talks with representatives of parliamentary political parties.