France will spend two billion euros to order ammunition in 2023 for its armed forces, a third more than last year, Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Wednesday, referring to “adaptations” to the war in Ukraine. .
As has been announced on several occasions and as must happen again in 2024 and 2025, the budget of the Armed Forces will increase by 3,000 million euros in 2023 to reach 43,900 million euros (without pensions), according to the Military programming law (LPM 2019). -2025).
10,000 shells for the Caesars
The orders will concern in particular 200 MMP anti-tank missiles (medium-range missiles), 100 SAMP-T (new generation Surface-Air Medium Range) anti-aircraft missiles. The amount of the ammunition deliveries will amount to one billion euros, including in particular about a hundred Mica air-to-air missiles that equip the Rafale and Mirage 2000, about 700 air-to-ground bombs of 250, 500 and 1,000 kg, 10,000 155 mm cartridges for the Caesar guns and more than 50 million small-caliber ammunition, the ministry detailed.
A high intensity workout
In a report published in February shortly before the Russian invasion, the deputies considered it “essential to replenish the stock of ammunition and parts to allow high-intensity training” and estimated the need for financing at 6,000 million euros.
The planes and helicopters of the three armies will benefit from 57% of this allocation. The modernization of the nuclear deterrent will mobilize €5.6 billion in payment appropriations in 2023.
Asked by several deputies about the impact of inflation on the budget increase planned for 2023, the Minister of the Armed Forces admitted that “inflation has always been part of the LPM (but) this inflation margin is new.”
“In general we are cushioning things,” concluded the minister.
Source: BFM TV
