Senator Bruno Sido warns of ammunition shortage in France amidst tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East.
As a member of the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Armed Forces Committee, Senator Bruno Sido from Haute-Marne paints a worrying picture of French military capabilities in the face of international tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East.
According to him, France, like other European countries, is currently experiencing the consequences of over 30 years of underinvestment since the end of the Cold War. “Rebuilding an army is not simple,” he recalls, highlighting the limits of the era of “peace dividends”. While the French forces have maintained operational experience through external operations, they are currently suffering from a lack of material resources.
Navy and army as top priorities
The shortage of ammunition is one of the most critical issues. Already visible “during the intervention in Libya”, this deficit could present serious problems in the face of high-intensity conflicts. Bruno Sido also emphasizes the changing nature of conflicts: drones and missiles, often inexpensive to produce, require much more expensive defense systems to neutralize them, creating a difficult balance to maintain in the long run.
While the air force retains strong capabilities, particularly with the Rafale aircraft, Bruno Sido believes that “the navy and army must be reinforced as a priority”. He specifically mentions the French presence in the Red Sea, which he deems insufficient given the vast area to secure, with only a few deployed ships over thousands of kilometers.
The senator also questions the allocation of budgets to defense, even as some industry professionals claim to lack orders to anticipate and produce more. “As long as we don’t place orders, they can’t prepare,” he points out.
For Senator Bruno Sido, France must now anticipate future conflicts and equip itself with means commensurate with its ambitions. In his view, France must regain a more assertive posture on the international stage. “We need to be capable of deterring, of instilling fear,” he concludes.
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