Overview
- Macron directed an increase in France’s nuclear warheads and said Paris will no longer publish arsenal totals, citing strategic ambiguity.
- France detailed a multi‑year upgrade of its forces, including third‑generation ballistic‑missile submarines expected around 2036, M51.3/M51.4 missiles and new TNO‑2 warheads.
- Germany and France announced visits to strategic sites and joint exercises starting this year, alongside a new high‑level steering group to coordinate conventional participation linked to French nuclear forces.
- Macron said interested partners include the UK, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark, with options under discussion such as temporarily basing nuclear‑capable Rafale aircraft in Europe.
- Final authority over any nuclear use remains solely with the French president, a stance that drew immediate pushback from nationalist opponents at home.