France considers expanding nuclear umbrella within EU bloc
Emmanuel Macron emphasized that France is ready to engage in talks about deploying French nuclear weapons in other EU countries. Here’s what France has at its disposal.
According to DW, Emmanuel Macron noted in an interview with TF1 television, "The Americans have nuclear bombs on planes deployed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Turkey. We are also open to discussions on this topic. I will define a platform for this type of activity in the coming weeks or months," he said.
Given the dwindling interest in Europe in the U.S., combined with the growing spectre of a trade war, it's no surprise that American guarantees of a nuclear umbrella for the European part of NATO are weaker than ever before. Therefore, it's no wonder that another guarantor is sought, and that is France.
It's worth noting that the French also have an interest in this, as developing and maintaining nuclear forces costs billions (over 7.8 billion CAD annually) and represents a significant burden on the French defence budget (about 15 percent). One can assume that the extension of France's nuclear umbrella to the rest of the EU will involve participation in these mentioned costs.
France's nuclear potential — Fully independent of the American
France is developing its nuclear potential independently, standing out in this aspect in Europe. Although the United Kingdom also possesses nuclear weapons, its capabilities are largely dependent on the USA.
France, on the other hand, relies solely on its technologies. During the Cold War, the country had a full nuclear triad, including land, sea, and air weapons. However, after withdrawing the silos from the Albion plateau and the mobile Pluton and newly produced Hadès land launchers in the 1990s, Paris focuses on intercontinental ballistic missiles on submarines and tactical nuclear weapons for the air force.
Additionally, the French doctrine of using nuclear weapons is very flexible, as it is based on the protection of vaguely defined "vital interests," which can change over time. France does not limit the use of nuclear weapons solely to defensive purposes but also allows for their one-time use as a final warning.
French nuclear arsenal — Minimum and maximum option
The strategic component of the French nuclear forces is composed of Le Triomphant-class nuclear-powered submarines (Le Triomphant, Le Téméraire, Le Vigilant, and Le Terrible), which entered service between 1997-2010. National law mandates that two of them must always be combat-ready. Each of these units can carry 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles from the M45 or M51 family with a range of 8,000-10,000 kilometres and capable of carrying up to 10 TN 75 warheads with a yield of 150 kilotons.
On the other hand, the second more flexible deterrence measure is the ASMP-A cruise missiles carried by Rafale aircraft. They are more advanced and easier to use than the classic B61-12 nuclear bombs.
Introduced into service in 2009, ASMP-A missiles are an advancement of the ASMP (Air-Sol Moyenne Portée) missiles used since 1986. The current variant is characterized by a range of about 500 kilometres.
These missiles, weighing close to 860 kilograms and measuring 5.4 metres in length, feature a ramjet engine known from MBDA Meteor missiles, which unlike traditional solid-fuel rocket motors, draws oxygen from the air. This leaves more room for the propellant, significantly increasing the range.
However, the ramjet engine can only operate after accelerating to a speed of Mach 2 (about 2,450 km/h), requiring a conventional rocket booster discarded after a few seconds. Then the ASMP-A reaches a speed of Mach 3 (about 3,700 km/h), significantly easing the breakthrough of air defence systems.
Currently, the French are testing another version of the missile designated as ASMP-R, which will be used until work on the ASN4G missile (air-sol nucléaire de 4e génération) is completed, expected to reach hypersonic speeds of Mach 6-8 (approximately 7,400 km/h and 9,800 km/h) and a range of 1,000 kilometres.
In the event of a decision to deploy nuclear weapons in EU countries, it is likely these will involve French Air Force Rafale aircraft. However, over time, integration of these weapons with aircraft from other countries may occur, similar to what happens with B61-12 bombs under the Nuclear Sharing program.
