Armored Vehicles and Ammunition: France and Belgium Put European Defense into Practice.

France and Belgium signed an agreement in Paris on Tuesday for the production of small-caliber ammunition and announced their intention to deepen their strategic partnership in land armaments. France will purchase small-caliber ammunition from the Belgian company FN Herstal, which will then help establish an assembly line in France to address its "dependence situation," announced the Defense Ministers of both countries, Sébastien Lecornu and Ludivine Dedonder, following a meeting in Paris.
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Small arms ammunition control after production (Picture source: ©Gert Jochems)

The French Minister of the Armed Forces explained that there is a segment where France has been vulnerable for fifteen years, which is the small-caliber ammunition sector. He stated that past decisions have placed the country in a "situation of dependence on many providers," a situation that has become evident since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. According to the minister, this production line, whose location and start date have not been specified, should ensure "supplies between the two countries" for these munitions. More broadly, France and Belgium, linked since 2018 by a partnership called "CaMo," aimed at equipping their armies with similar land equipment, want to deepen their "operational intimacy."

For about 20 years, France has been purchasing its ammunition from the Israeli company IWI (Israeli Weapon Industry) and the Brazilian company CDC, which acquired the MEN ammunition factory in Nassau, Germany in 2007 and the Sellier & Bellot ammunition factory in Vlašim, Czech Republic in 2009.

Consequently, France is dependent on supplies from these two nations and their subsidiaries worldwide. The global international context makes the sustainability of these ammunition partnerships uncertain. Therefore, it is crucial for France to secure a more stable partnership that is less susceptible to global geopolitical changes.

The installation of a production line in France and purchases from FN Herstal will allow "the gradual cessation of acquisitions of small-caliber ammunition from outside the European Union," added the Minister of the Armed Forces. The approach is strategic both industrially and militarily. Not only are the two countries jointly engaged in several operations from the Middle East to Central Europe, but relying on a neighboring ally for rapid ammunition supply is "common sense," according to Sébastien Lecornu.

The supply of small-caliber powders should not cause major concerns either, as three days of production at the Belgian EURENCO site are sufficient to cover France's annual need, explained a European specialist in energetic materials.

Thus, the CaMo partnership, which originally involved Belgium acquiring Griffon and Jaguar armored vehicles, will now be extended to include Serval vehicles and Caesar cannons. The two ministers also discussed the Belgian company John Cockerill's project to acquire the French armored vehicle manufacturer Arquus, which is "progressing well," according to Mr. Lecornu. Ludivine Dedonder welcomed this project, stating that it would create a "European land champion and strengthen European defense."