Analysis: French Defense acquisitions for Naval sector in 2020

Presented Friday, September 27, in the Council of Ministers by Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, the 2020 budget for the Armies foresees an increase of the resources of € 1.7 billion, to reach € 37.5 billion. Modernization of major equipment, creation of posts, innovation: an overview of the main lines of the Army budget for next year.

FS Cassard D-614 Frigate F70AA class French Navy Marine (Picture source: French Navy)

37.5 billion €: this is the amount of the budget of the Ministry of the Armed Forces for the year 2020. The credits granted for the modernization of the capacities of the armed forces make it the second budget item of the State, behind the National Education. The defence effort in 2020 will represent 1.86% of GDP.

Regarding the Navy, the budget 2020 published by the Ministry of Arms notifies the acquisition of 1 Barracuda class nuclear attack submarine (the Suffren, several months late), 2 NH90 helicopters Cayman Marine, 2 renovated Atlantic 2 aircraft and a batch of Aster missiles for multi-mission air defence frigates (FREMM DA) currently under construction at Naval Group in Lorient.

The document mentions three new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne lookout aircraft, seven Albatros maritime surveillance aircraft (Falcon 2000) and two mine warfare UAV modules. However, there is no mention of a possible contract for the 7 Avsimar maritime surveillance aircraft, 3 Hawkeye E2-D radar aircraft for carrier group six future overseas POM patrol boats, which suggests that this program will be well notified by the end of this year.

The oceanic component will see the construction of the third generation of SSBNs to replace many of the current submarines (The Triumphant, The Bold, The Vigilant and The Terrible), commissioned between 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2010. All have already been modernized, especially the first three, adapted with the implementation of the M51 missile, which now has the new TNO heads succeeding the TN75. A new version of the French ballistic missile, the M51.3, is scheduled to be launched in 2025. For 3G SSBNs, the studies are underway and the first long-term supplies will be launched, the construction of the seeded building is to start towards 2023 on the Naval Group site in Cherbourg with the aim of commissioning in the early 2030s. The first view of these future SSBNs (below) was published in the 2020 budget presentation document.

A new conflictual environment emerge. Space will benefit from € 448 million, in particular, to renew the satellite capacities. € 336 million will be invested in the field of intelligence. Another major axis: cyber (1.6 billion). 93 new cyber-fighters will join the institution next year. In 2020, the nuclear deterrence budget is increased to € 4.7 billion to renew the oceanic and airborne components.