France to expand nuclear arsenal, extend protection to European allies

France announced a major shift in its nuclear defense policy, expanding its nuclear arsenal and extending elements of its protection to European allies amid growing security tensions. President Emmanuel Macron revealed plans to increase the current stockpile of about 300 nuclear warheads, though France will no longer publicly disclose the total number. A key component is the development of a new nuclear-armed submarine, The Invincible, set to launch in 2036, enhancing France’s sea-based deterrent. Macron emphasized that nuclear strike authority remains centralized under the French president, with no automatic nuclear guarantees to partner countries; the strategy focuses on deterrence by signaling a high cost to any attack on France. Eight European nations— the UK, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, and Denmark—have joined an “advanced deterrence” framework, allowing participation in French nuclear exercises and potentially hosting French nuclear-capable bombers. This initiative aims to complicate adversaries’ strategic calculations by dispersing French nuclear forces across Europe