Emmanuel Macron will travel to Cher on Thursday, where he will visit, in particular, various sites of the arms industry to illustrate France’s effort to produce more and more quickly in a context of “war economy”, the Elysee announced on Tuesday. Accompagné du minister des Armées Sébastien Lecornu, et de la secrétaire d’Etat à la Jeunesse Sarah El Hairy, le chef de l’Etat sera d’abord attendu dans la matinée à l’Ecole militaire préparatoire technique de Bourges, où il échangera avec students.
This establishment, which opened its doors at the beginning of the year, aims to “respond to a growing need for non-commissioned officers in technical professions”, underlines the Elysee. In the afternoon, Emmanuel Macron will go to a test center of the General Directorate of Armament (DGA) where he will inaugurate the renewed firing point for the César cannons. These cannons are the centerpiece of the French artillery. 18 have been sent to Ukraine and another six could be sent soon.
The Head of State will then go to the Nexter Arrowtech site, where the 155mm shells for the Caesar guns are produced. And he will visit the MBDA Subdray factory that deals with the engineering and testing of missile propulsion means.
“war economy”
This trip comes when the Ministry of the Armed Forces and the industrialists have been working since this summer on the “war economy” in which France must, according to Emmanuel Macron, participate in order to face the new geopolitical agreement. The Head of State “will remind industrialists of the objective of producing enough, more quickly and at controlled prices”, indicates the Elysee, in the context of the war in Ukraine.
France will thus dedicate two billion euros to order ammunition in 2023 for its armed forces, that is, a third more than last year. This includes, for example, 10,000 155mm shells for Caesar guns, or even more than 50 million small caliber ammunition. 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).
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.
Source: BFM TV
