MBDA’s Aster missile. (Photo: DGA)
France has announced plans to spend upwards of €10.5 billion (US$11.6 billion) to boost its stockpiles of drones and missiles, a move motivated by observation of the ongoing Ukrainian and Middle Eastern conflicts and to protect against growing Russian threat.
Presented to the Council of Ministers on 8 April, the targeted spend forms part of an additional total of €36 billion in proposed funding – an update to the original €413 billion provision already allocated to the Military Programme Law (LPM) to accelerate the country’s rearmament until 2030.
First announced by President Macron in January 2026, the increased spending would boost
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The design and development contract is set to run until the end of June and will now enable the partnership to drive the programme forward as it targets its 2027 demonstrator date.
The report comes as heads of industry bodies warn that the delayed defence spending plan has left smaller and medium sized businesses in stasis, unable to plan or seek out further investment.
Norway first scoped the requirement in 2022, and included it in a defence strategy document in 2023. The announcement of a new framework agreement appears to have breathed fresh life into the effort.
The effective use of the Shahed-136 in the Iran war has highlighted the need for countries to acquire a domestically produced, low-cost, long-range loitering munition, with the US, Turkey and European nations all at various stages of developing a similar capability.
The disagreement between French-German industry continues as both governments work to keep the programme alive and on track to develop and deliver a sixth-generation fighter jet.
The USAF is seeking on-the-move systems, subsystems or technologies capable of defending airbases and fixed and semi-fixed sites against small drone attacks.
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