France is set to bolster its nuclear deterrent by deploying Rafale fighter jets armed with nuclear cruise missiles to its air base near the German border, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday.
The Luxeuil-Saint-Sauveur base, located in eastern France, will undergo a significant upgrade, bringing it back into France’s strategic fold after having hosted nuclear weapons until 2011.
Macron revealed that by 2035, Luxeuil will house the latest Rafale jets, equipped with hypersonic nuclear missiles. To support this, the base will expand significantly, with plans to double the number of personnel to around 2,000, both military and civilian. The French government has committed €1.5 billion ($1.64 billion) to modernize the site and accelerate Rafale jet production.
Though Macron didn’t mention Russia directly, he acknowledged the growing instability in the world, particularly after the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv escalated in 2022. The move comes after Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, proposed that France might extend its nuclear defense capabilities to include Germany and other EU countries. Macron has indicated this suggestion would be up for discussion.
Russia, however, has strongly criticized these moves, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov describing the EU’s increasing militarization as reckless and dangerous. He warned that such confrontational rhetoric could hinder the prospects of a peaceful resolution to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
