Marc Darmon, President of GICAT (Groupement des industries françaises de défense et de sécurité terrestres et aéroterrestres, Group of French land and airland defense and security industries) highlighted the global response to overlapping crises and wars, noting a 9% increase in worldwide defense spending. Europe is reorganizing in response to the resurgence of conflict on its borders, with 25 out of 27 EU Member States increasing their military expenditures between 2022 and 2023
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Marc Darmon, President of GICAT, and General Charles Baudouin, General Commissioner of Eurosatory, interviewed by Emmanuelle Dancourt (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The European Defense Innovation Partnership Action (EDIRPA) is set to invest 500 million euros. Nexter plans to produce 150,000 shells this year, with upcoming projects EDIS (European Defence Industrial Strategy) and EDIP (European Defence Industry Programme) signaling further expansion.
The French defense industry, recognized for excellence, supports 225,000 jobs, including 50,000 in the land sector alone, demonstrating the sector's resilience. The French Defense’s Military Programming Law (LPM) outlines a budget of 413 billion euros for 2024-2030, focusing on reducing production times and increasing responsiveness. For example, the production time for a CAESAR self-propelled howitzer system has been halved from 30 to 15 months, and the Mistral air defense missile saw production time cut from 24 to 15 months.
These efforts support both French and Ukrainian military needs, including 250 VAB armored vehicles, 30 CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, SCALP and MILAN missiles, air defense radars, 4 LRU (MLRS), and rockets. The future will see more robotics and mine-clearing systems, with a focus on local mastery in defense industries, highlighted by Arquus' agreement with a Ukrainian industrialist and KNDS's involvement. The defense industry's collaboration with the French authorities for the 2024 Olympics and the support from the Defense Innovation Agency emphasize the role of artificial intelligence in sensors, autonomy, and data processing, with quantum technologies poised to revolutionize sensor technology.
General Charles Baudouin, General Commissioner of Eurosatory, comments on a new era marked by state confrontations, conflict replication in other regions, and the societal impacts of COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, increasing violence, division, populism, and religious communitarianism. The digital revolution, including AI and quantum technologies, presents both opportunities and vulnerabilities. The challenge faced by States, international organizations, and both public and private actors is to reindustrialize and rearm to better protect citizens and territories.
Eurosatory 2024 will showcase defense, and internal security with 1,800 exhibitors from 60 countries, spread among 41 national pavilions, in a multi-environment setting with 17% lethal offerings. The event will feature 250 official delegations, 85% of exhibitors from the EU, and 80 international startups focused on drones, anti-drone defense, and cybersecurity in the dedicated HELPED area of 2,500 m², alongside dynamic demonstrations by the army, elite interior ministry units, and industrial exhibitors.
During the conference, the resurgence of the European defense industry and the identification of dependencies were discussed, emphasizing the strategic signaling role, hybrid and kinetic conflicts, disinformation, and social media's role in linking national armies. Jean Francois Ripoche, Director of the Research, Technology and Innovation Directorate (RTI) within the European Defense Agency (EDA), mentioned the lessons learned by the EU from conflicts to set priorities, intending to intervene across the spectrum, in both high-intensity and hybrid conflicts, with a focus on quality, quantity, and innovation.
The issue of demining was addressed by Ukrainian Minister Igor Bezkaravainy, emphasizing the collection of evidence and environmental damage resulting from the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Defense News March 2024
