President Emmanuel Macron has said France would increase orders for Rafale fighter jets and invest nearly 1.5 billion euros into one of its air bases to equip its squadrons with the latest nuclear missile technology, adding the country will have to get ready to defend itself "if we want to avoid war".
European countries including France have been seeking to boost defence spending and ramp up production of weapons in the face of possible US security disengagement and Russian aggression.
Speaking during a trip to a military base in Luxeuil-les-Bains in the country's east on Tuesday, Macron said France was going to "increase and accelerate the Rafale orders", adding that the air and space force would benefit from more orders for the warplanes produced by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.
The decisions on additional investments to respond to the "acceleration of events" would be announced in the coming weeks, he said.
"Our country and our continent will have to continue to defend themselves, to equip themselves, to prepare if we want to avoid war," Macron said.
"No one can say what will happen in the coming months and years. What I want is for us to be ready. What I want is for us to be protected."
Last year, the country's air force had 108 Rafale jets, and the navy had 41 such warplanes. France was due to receive 56 additional aircraft before Macron's announcement.
Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu has recently said it is necessary to acquire 30 more Rafale warplanes.
The site in Luxeuil-les-Bains will by 2035 become "the first base to receive the next version of the Rafale and its hypersonic nuclear missile", Macron said.
He said the state would invest nearly 1.5 billion euros to adapt the base.
What would a French nuclear umbrella over Europe really mean?
According to the Elysee, the airbase plays "a central role in protecting the interests of the Transatlantic Alliance (NATO) and beyond".
Macron stressed the importance of nuclear deterrence, vowing to "continue to strengthen each of its components".
France and Britain are the only European countries to have nuclear weapons.
In early March, Macron said he would discuss extending France's nuclear deterrent to European partners.
Later Tuesday, the French president was set to travel to Berlin for talks with Germany's outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz and chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz.
(with AFP)
