France to allow temporary deployment of nuclear-armed jets to allied nations

L’ile Longue: French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday that France would allow the temporary deployment of its nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries as part of its new nuclear strategy aimed at strengthening Europe’s independence.

Macron said the unprecedented new posture could “provide for the temporary deployment of elements of our strategic air forces to allied countries,” but said there would be no sharing of decision-making with any other nation regarding the use of the nuclear weapons.

Talks about such arrangements have started with Britain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark, Macron said at a military base at L’Ile Longue in northwestern France that hosts the country’s ballistic missile submarines.

Macron’s long-planned speech, scheduled before the most recent outbreak of hostilities in Iran, was aimed at spelling out how

French nuclear weapons fit into Europe’s security amid concerns raised on the continent by recurring tensions with US President Donald Trump.

France also will allow partners to participate in deterrence exercises and allow allies’ non-nuclear forces to participate in France’s nuclear activities, said Macron, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces under the French constitution.

In a joint statement, Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed a deeper Franco-German integration in the field of deterrence.

“France and Germany have agreed to take first concrete steps beginning this year, including German conventional participation in French nuclear exercises and joint visits to strategic

sites as well as development of conventional capabilities with European partners,” they said.

Macron also announced that France will increase its number of nuclear warheads from the current level of below 300, but did not give a figure for the increase.