On March 2, 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke at the Île Longue naval base near Brest, unveiling 'advanced deterrence' to associate eight European countries with France's nuclear strategy amid Russian threats and US NATO commitment doubts. He ordered an increase in nuclear warheads—currently estimated at 290—funded via a military programming law update adding 36 billion euros, while naming the next nuclear submarine 'L'Invincible'. This initiative preserves French sovereignty without sharing weapons or firing decisions.
Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation from the Île Longue submarine base in Brest on March 2, 2026, home to France's oceanic nuclear deterrence component. In a context of geopolitical upheaval—including the war in Ukraine under Russian nuclear shadow, a recent Israeli-American offensive in Iran, and perceived fragility in the US NATO guarantee—he described the era as a 'period of rupture full of risks' and announced a 'major evolution' in French nuclear doctrine.
The 'advanced deterrence' extends French nuclear protection across Europe as an intermediate layer between national deterrence and NATO's, without 'sharing the manufacture, possession, or firing orders' of weapons. Vital interests remain a sovereign French assessment. Eight countries have agreed to participate: the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, and Denmark. Allies will join French nuclear exercises, with possible deployments of strategic elements and signaling beyond French borders. This builds on Macron's 2020 call for a European dimension to deterrence and France's post-1960s independent development outside NATO.
Key measures include increasing the nuclear warhead arsenal, with no precise future figures disclosed. Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin specified funding through the military programming law (LPM) update, adding 36 billion euros to the 413 billion for 2024-2030; deterrence comprises 13% of the 2026 defense budget of 57.1 billion euros, covered by a 'surcharge'. Delegate Minister Alice Rufo emphasized maintaining 'a power of destruction' for credibility amid crises, via converging doctrines, pooled conventional capabilities (space, early warning, missile defense, long-range missiles), and modernizations like the M51.3 missile and hypersonic developments. The next SNLE submarine, 'L'Invincible', will sail in 2036.
Bilateral efforts include a Franco-Danish agreement, a Franco-German steering group with joint exercises, strengthened UK ties, and France-Germany-UK development of very long-range missiles under ELSA. Europe has welcomed the offer, amid growing defiance toward the US, whose latest National Defense Strategy omits 'extended deterrence'.
Reactions are mixed: Rassemblement National notes it but questions asset dispersion; Les Républicains' Bruno Retailleau feels reassured on sovereignty; Jean-Luc Mélenchon calls it good but seeks parliamentary scrutiny; Socialists welcome European ambition with debate calls. NGOs like ICAN decry an arms race, estimating 50-100 more warheads in a decade. Macron urged Europeans to 'take control of their destiny', paralleling civil nuclear power generating 70% of France's electricity.
