"
The surprise is that there are no surprises
" While the past week has been marked by gloom at the Ministry of the Armed Forces, where we cannot digest the abandonment by Australia of the sub-contract. sailors with Naval Group, the spokesperson Hervé Grandjean did well on Wednesday with the presentation of the finance bill for 2022. With 40.9 billion euros, the last military budget of the five-year period is exactly in accordance with the law of 2019-2025 military program, with an increase of 1.7 billion euros. Since 2017, the annual budget devoted to the armed forces has increased by 9 billion euros and the cumulative effort amounts to 26 billion euros. It is “
an ambitious and kept budget
”, insisted Hervé Grandjean.
At the ministry, we are happy to list the non-exhaustive list of equipment that will be delivered in 2022: 245 armored vehicles (Griffon, Jaguar or Serval), 200 medium-range missiles, 8 NH90 helicopters, 2075 radios, 4 ATL Renovated planes, a multi- missions, a Barracuda submarine, 3 MRTT planes, 2 A400M planes, the putting into orbit of the CERES electromagnetic monitoring system, the first Syracuse satellite, the third and last of the CSO constellation… We insist on "
small equipment
" like the 70,000 F3 fatigues or the 12,000 HK416 rifles.
Privileged intelligence and cyber
154 million euros will also be devoted to the renovation of family housing and 183 million euros to base accommodation. The army will recruit 26,200 personnel in 2022, i.e. an increase of 450 additional personnel: intelligence or cyber will be privileged. Among the "
new areas of conflict
", cyber will benefit from a budget of 231 million euros and space from 646 million euros. The space command site in Toulouse should be able to begin. In 2022, 396 armored vehicles will be ordered as well as 50 renovated Leclerc tanks. The Australian disappointment should not have financial consequences for Naval Group.
At the Ministry of the Armed Forces, we congratulate ourselves on having kept a “
repair
”
budget
. After years of underinvestment or broken promises, the effort is remarkable. But it does not meet all the challenges that arise. The threats identified in the “
Strategic Review
” continue to exert their pressure and the armies remain under tension to the limit of their capacities. And the next steps planned in the LPM will be the toughest, with a promised increase of 3 billion euros. But this debate will arise after the presidential election.
