NFollowing the French President's announcements about the possible deployment of ground troops to Ukraine, the Army Chief of Staff has confirmed that the troops are “standing ready”. In an opinion piece for the newspaper Le Monde, General Pierre Schill wrote: “France is in a position to deploy a division, that is, about 20,000 men in a coalition, within 30 days.” He added: “Whatever the international “No matter how the situation develops, the French can be convinced that their soldiers will be present.”
Shortly before French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu's visit to Berlin this Thursday and Friday, the Army Chief of Staff reignited the debate about a ground operation in Ukraine. Military experts have responded by pointing out that the French Minister of War, Marshal Edmond Leboeuf, had used almost the same words on July 15, 1870: “We are ready, ready for brass.” This was an indication of the defeat of the French army, which was defeated by the Prussian and allied troops within a few weeks.
The army only has two divisions
In a book published in January entitled “Are we ready for war?”, military expert Jean-Dominique Merchet explains in detail why the French army could hold a maximum of “an 80-kilometer front line,” “no more.” According to the According to French military plans, a brigade with 6,000 men and 1,500 vehicles is needed for a front line of 20 kilometers. These figures are not secret, but are rarely discussed. Merchet writes that according to the plans of the Army General Staff, France should be able to do so by 2027 To mobilize a division of 19,000 soldiers and 7,000 vehicles in 30 days. It seemed as if Schill had already anticipated this goal for 2027 in his opinion piece.
In the interview, Merchet points out that France remains dependent on help from NATO allies. The French army had only two divisions, the first and the third, with one remaining in reserve. The new budget for the armed forces for the period 2024 to 2030 does not mean a turning point for the army. Instead, France continues to invest in all military areas. “The French army is like the American army, only in the bonsai version,” summarizes Merchet. When it comes to armament, quality such as the Caesar howitzers or Rafale aircraft is preferred over quantity, but above a certain operational threshold that is no longer enough.
Merchet vividly describes the disdain for artillery and tanks in the military leadership, which finds air combat “more noble”. In the book he points out that a certain Russophilia continues to be cultivated in military circles. For the first time, the army is having difficulty recruiting young people. This is a new phenomenon for the French professional army, which has long been an exception in Europe.