"PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron is showcasing France's plans to upgrade its nuclear arsenal as he seeks to engage in talks with Germany and other European powers about extending his country's nuclear umbrella.
On Tuesday, Macron visited an air base near the eastern town of Luxeuil-les-Bains, announcing plans to spend nearly 1.5 billion euros, or $1.6 billion, to modernize the facility so it can host a fleet of 40 advanced Rafale jets by 2035. The jets would carry next-generation hypersonic missiles, equipped with nuclear warheads, that are expected to have a range of more than 600 miles, twice that of its predecessors.
President Trump's push for detente with Russia has rattled allies across Europe, with many capitals moving to increase military spending and prepare for a world in which Washington is no longer willing to come to the Continent's defense. Some leaders have begun to question whether Europe needs an alternative to the U.S. nuclear deterrent that has shielded Germany and other countries without nuclear arsenals for decades.
"Our country and our continent will have to continue to defend, equip and prepare ourselves if we want to avoid war," Macron told a throng of airmen Tuesday.
"What I want is for us to be ready."
Friedrich Merz, who is poised to become Germany's next chancellor, has called for talks with France and the U.K., the continent's only nuclear powers, to extend their deterrence to cover other European countries, including Germany. Macron has long floated the idea.
Merz is pushing a plan to amend Germany's constitution to exempt military spending from the country's strict fiscal rules and set up a 500 billion euro infrastructure fund. The move would pave the way for what economists have said could be a 1 trillion euro rearmament and investment splurge over the next 12 years.
On Tuesday, just more than two-thirds of lawmakers in the Bundestag voted for the amendment. It will face a final hurdle Friday in the upper house of parliament, which also requires a two-thirds majority.
European leaders are walking a tightrope as they look for ways to wean themselves off U.S. military might without jeopardizing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which undergirds the continent's security. For years Macron has pushed European leaders to develop "strategic autonomy," inviting European allies to participate in French nuclear-force exercises and to discuss how French deterrence capabilities could bolster European security.
But many European allies initially were reluctant to engage with France for fear of alienating Washington. Trump's decision to sideline European allies in talks with Russia to end the Ukraine war has changed the thinking in many capitals. In addition to Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have also expressed interest in Macron's offer.
For Germany and other allies, the idea of outsourcing nuclear deterrence to Paris or London means they would still be at the mercy of another country's national politics. Marine Le Pen, the nationalist politician polls suggest could succeed Macron in 2027, has criticized the French president for broaching the question of whether France's nuclear deterrent can be extended. "We shouldn't share it, let alone delegate it," she said.
France has a much smaller nuclear arsenal than the U.S., which has thousands of warheads. France has about 290. They can be fired from submarines as well as Rafales." [1]
What about artificial intelligence, Mr. Merz? Do you still need it to make German industry competitive again? Or you don't need even natural intelligence anymore? Military drums quench any thinking.
1. Macron Heralds Nuclear Arsenal. Bisserbe, Noemie; Meichtry, Stacy. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 19 Mar 2025: A7.
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