COVID-19 and lack of big-money deals hit French exports in 2020
Morocco ordered 300 VLRA vehicles in late 2020; pictured recently is a vehicle in final production. (Photo: Jean-Marc Tanguy)
Official figures show that French defence equipment export orders took a big hit last year.
French defence companies recorded a 40% year-on-year slump in overseas orders to €4.9 billion ($5.97 billion) in 2020, according to the latest annual report provided by the MoD to parliament on 2 June.
However, strong demand for Rafale is driving a rebound in 2021.
MoD spokesman Hervé Grandjean attributed the sharp fall mainly to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, although the decrease accelerated a recent trend: in 2019, exports decreased by 8.5%.
Grandjean explained that multiple small contracts characterised sales to overseas customers in 2020, as no major deals exceeded €500 million ($609 million).
‘This absence is
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
![Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures]()
Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures
Multiple countries have been deploying small arms as the last line of drone defence due to their multiple operational and tactical advantages.
-
![Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family]()
Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family
The Singapore-based technology company unveiled its new rifle family at this week’s airshow. Chen Chuanren spoke with the ST Engineering’s head of small arms to find out more about how the weapons have been refined.
-
![High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?]()
High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?
Any potential ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission would be months in the planning, but with tensions high in the region given the US’s push for Greenland, NATO countries will need to continue to emphasise their commitment to the region, analysts have said.
-
![Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack]()
Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack
Defence Minister Gen Vladimir Padrino López has declared that the Venezuelan armed forces “will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defence”.
-
![As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues]()
As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues
The UK’s defence spending commitments remain uncertain as the government’s Defence Investment Plan, which had been due by the end of 2025, is yet to be published.
