Europe of Defence is not sufficiently armed to protect us!

Europe facing its defence challenges

According to a British think tank, Europe lacks military personnel and means of defence, despite increased spending due to the conflict in Ukraine. This analysis is published following the election of Donald Trump, which calls into question the persistence of American military support for Ukraine and contradicts the various calls to intensify the defence of the European continent.

According to the Institut International pour les Études Stratégiques (IISS), "the main European armed forces remain understaffed, with too many of them continuing to lose troops without sufficiently encouraging the younger generation to enlist." During a forum in Prague on European defence, experts stated: "Europe continues to rely on the United States to varying degrees in all military domains."

"Europe continues to rely on the United States to varying degrees in all military domains."

The quest for European sovereignty

Since the annexation of Crimea by Russia, some European members of Otan have increased their military spending by 50%. However, the Russian invasion in 2022 revealed gaps in Europe's ability to ensure its safety. Orders from member countries reportedly go to European companies for 60% compared to 40% for American equipment.

During the pandemic, Emmanuel Macron displayed a priority ambition: "to rebuild our national and European sovereignty." In The Economist, the Head of State urged his European partners to strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy. Four years later, a new blunder that went unnoticed sabotages the French president's strategy of reconquest.

Strategic decisions under surveillance

At the end of the year, a strategic platform, through which almost all state tenders pass, will come under the management of a Canadian company. A sensitive choice decided without a call for tenders. For its public procurement, the State is therefore ready to let Canada control the management of its purchasing platform.

It was Loïc Kervran, deputy for Cher, who revealed a potential state scandal. Starting in December, the management of the Place platform, which centralizes almost all public tenders of the French state, will pass under a foreign flag, entrusted to the Canadian group CGI. The sensitivity of Place is high because it manages access to confidential business information on sensitive tenders.

For his part, Laurent Malhomme, managing director of ATEXO, highlights "the risks in the field of defence with, in particular, design studies for a maritime drone." To reassure themselves, in October, the Traqueurs d'ondes of the 54ème Régiment de Transmissions (54ème RT) successfully participated in a large-scale exercise: "HIERAX 2024".

Deployed in the depths of Moselle, they simulated an operational electronic warfare engagement to assist an allied country, in a context of high-intensity conflict. Congratulations to the 54ème RT! The mission is sacred. They accomplished it with determination and initiative for the success of the arms of France.