France to order 40 more Rafale fighter jets, Macron says
In the latest chapter in the abrupt change in relations between Europe and the United States, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that the French Air Force will accelerate deliveries of Dassault Rafale fighter jets and will have 40 more aircraft.
The new supersonic jets will reinforce Air Base 116 in Luxeuil-les-Bains, located in the east of the country, the president said in a speech to military personnel.
The two new squadrons will also have nuclear deterrence capability from 2035. According to Macron, the Rafale will be capable of carrying a hypersonic nuclear missile.
To prepare the base to receive the new aircraft, the French government will invest 1.5 billion euros. Around 2,000 military and civilian personnel will join the current squadron over the next 10 years.
“The world we live in is increasingly dangerous and increasingly uncertain,” said the French president, justifying the investment due to “geopolitical trends.”
Europe seeks less dependence on the United States
The French reaction is yet another move towards greater independence from the United States, which has led NATO for 80 years, but whose future is uncertain given the stance of President Donald Trump.
The Republican has threatened to withdraw the US military from Europe and to stop military aid so that Ukraine can resist attacks from Russia.
The main European countries have begun talks to seek greater spending on defense and also to accelerate military programs. In addition, there is a movement to replace US weapons with similar local ones.
Macron has even urged his European counterparts to stop buying the F-35 fighter jet and replace it with the Rafale.
Portugal has already confirmed that it is reviewing its plans to purchase the aircraft from Lockheed Martin, while there is growing pressure in Germany to cancel a contract for 35 F-35A jets.
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Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
