France unveils its Arctic Defense Strategy (Naval News)

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France unveils its Arctic Defense Strategy - Naval News

The French ministry of the armed forces last week released France's first ever "defense strategy for the Arctic". The move comes as the Arctic is rapidly emerging as a global critical geopolitical flashpoint.
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Given the escalating geopolitical landscape, France is bolstering its military presence and capabilities in the Arctic. The objectives are straightforward: enable French armed forces to deploy effectively in the region, uphold France’s international responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a NATO ally, and an EU member, and secure vital energy and mineral supplies for both France and the European Union. Essentially, France’s Arctic defense strategy aims to preserve its freedom of action and influence, all while actively contributing to regional stability.
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VishnuOsiris said:
It doesn't border its interests in South America either.
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Technically French Guiana is part of France proper and located in South America.

As for the Arctic, the sheer distance will make it difficult for France to contest the actual big boys in the region, which border it. Being the United States and Russia. And I'm not sure either of them is particularly welcoming of France and "their interests" in their backyard. Especially when it means that the Frenchies could try to get themselves a piece of the arctic cake and it's economic opportunities.

Better start building nuclear icebreakers and putting a carrier (as in their only one) there, I guess.
 
Sferrin said:
I ask the same thing about China. They seem to think the arctic is their business.
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While the same I said about France above also applies to China, they could in the near term actually field the necessary force to push their interests there.

The issue I see with France is that they want to be essentially everywhere all at once, playing up to be more than a regional power in the Mediterranean realm. And while the French Navy really punches way above their weight, I'm just not sure that France could actually defend their interests in the Arctic, Africa, Near East and Indo-Pacific simultaneously. Imo that would require more Mistrals, at least another or two carriers and several more, genuine destroyers like the Horizon-Class (the FREMMs are proper frigates, while the FDI is essentially a very big Corvette). SSNs and SSBNs don't really help to defend ones geopolitical interests, they're a dagger and a sledgehammer.

I think France, or France together with other European states like Germany, Spain, the Netherlands or Italy could eventually get to a point where they can contest the big players in individual theaters. But that would take time, money, will and sorting out the dire state European states are currently in. I don't see any of this happening though.

Which ties into the topic at hand, I don't think there's much to consider about the French Arctic strategy because the Americans or Russian would shoo them away when it matters.

Now to delve a bit into the theoretical, this could be an opportunity for France and Canada to join together, with Canada being able to provide France with a base in the region, potentially.
 
EmoBirb said:
Now to delve a bit into the theoretical, this could be an opportunity for France and Canada to join together, with Canada being able to provide France with a base in the region, potentially.
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Why would Canada want to encourage French interest in the artic over potentially their own?
 
Ozair said:
Why would Canada want to encourage French interest in the artic over potentially their own?
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Because Canada has no hope whatsoever to enforce their interests alone. And the US isn't going to give them a fair share either.
 
CJGibson said:
As for France, Ozair, a large percentage of the Canadian population has French heritage and famously defensive of that heritage.

Chris
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Chris I lived in Canada for a period of time and while most of my time was west there is no great cultural love for France. French ancestry makes up less than 15% of Canadian citizens today, https://uscanadainfo.com/ethnicity-in-canada/

That love for France hasn't translated into any meaningful purchases of French military equipment over the last 60 years.

EmoBirb said:
Because Canada has no hope whatsoever to enforce their interests alone. And the US isn't going to give them a fair share either.
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So turn to France of all nations, sorry no the logic of that argument is not sound. Whether you like the US or not Canada and the US both still participate in NORAD and that is far stronger, even with the political shenanigans, than any love for France. Additionally France would simply be another competitor in the region.
 
Well aware of the French or rather 'Quebec' question in Canada. Didn't want to open that can of worms. Perhaps it comes down to France not threatening to annex Canada?

Chris
 
CJGibson said:
Well aware of the French or rather 'Quebec' question in Canada. Didn't want to open that can of worms. Perhaps it comes down to France not threatening to annex Canada?

Chris
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But like every other potential partner France would choose their interests over Canada's every single time. I'm not saying the US or the UK are any different but the security relationships they have are deeper, much longer established and will survive a 4 year trump term.
 
Dilandu said:
How many arctic-rated icebreakers France have? I won't ask "how many NUCLEAR icebreakers", because the answer would be obvious.
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If they want to seriously contest the arctic, they should start to invest in vessels similar to Ivan Papanin. I don't think nuclear icebreakers are necessary, although they are undoubtedly capable and have plenty of benefits in the arctic region.
 
EmoBirb said:
If they want to seriously contest the arctic, they should start to invest in vessels similar to Ivan Papanin. I don't think nuclear icebreakers are necessary, although they are undoubtedly capable and have plenty of benefits in the arctic region.
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Sorry, but where exactly does that news says anything about France "contesting" the Arctic ?
 
With the Baltic Sea effectively a NATO inner sea, Russian naval activity is likely to shift more to the Arctic. NATO member France is shifting its priorities accordingly.
 
Arjen said:
With the Baltic Sea effectively a NATO inner sea, Russian naval activity is likely to shift more to the Arctic. NATO member France is shifting its priorities accordingly.
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Thank you @Arjen. It was in fact all explained in the original post, if others took time to read it :
Given the escalating geopolitical landscape, France is bolstering its military presence and capabilities in the Arctic. The objectives are straightforward: enable French armed forces to deploy effectively in the region, uphold France’s international responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a NATO ally, and an EU member, and secure vital energy and mineral supplies for both France and the European Union. Essentially, France’s Arctic defense strategy aims to preserve its freedom of action and influence, all while actively contributing to regional stability.
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French and the Brits like to make big plans but their budget realites are far from coming close to enabling these plans .


''French Prime Minister François Bayrou is trying to trim the budget by at least €40 billion to bring down the country's eye-watering €3.3 trillion in public debt and rein in a budget deficit that has fallen afoul of European rules in recent years.

“We will not allow the deficit to accumulate,” Bayrou said in a primetime television interview Thursday. "For the first time in a very long time ... the government is going to say what the constraints are, what efforts are needed, and what decisions must be taken to get us out of this deadly trap."

Paris is set to dole out €67 billion on interest payments this year — more than it will spend on defense.''
 
galgot said:
No where, we "Frenchies" just want to annex Greenland. Gonna make a nice riviera when it's all warmed up.
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We didn't say we were going to "annex" Greenland. We offered to buy it. If we wanted to annex it we could do it in about fifteen minutes.
 
Dilandu said:
How many arctic-rated icebreakers France have? I won't ask "how many NUCLEAR icebreakers", because the answer would be obvious.
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You could replace 'France' with 'USA'. Two of the former, none of the latter, I think. As a naval know nowt, I'm sure someone will correct me. Again.

Chris
 

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