Seyma Erkul Dayanc
20 May 2026•Update: 20 May 2026
French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin on Wednesday highlighted France's military readiness and overseas deployments, including in the Middle East, as the country strengthens its defense posture amid rising global tensions.
“France has a defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates. So, when the UAE was attacked in March, they requested France’s assistance,” Vautrin told broadcaster France Info.
“Under this agreement, we supported them because France is a reliable partner.”
She said the country is maintaining an operational presence abroad, citing recent naval deployments, including the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle’s presence in the Gulf of Aden.
She said the carrier is part of a full strike group that includes fighter jets, frigates and support vessels, demonstrating France’s ability to project power globally.
“This reflects France’s strength and its capacity to project power,” she said.
The minister also said France was able to rapidly deploy naval assets at the start of the war, including frigates in the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea as part of the EU’s Operation Aspides.
She stressed that France’s strategy is based on deterrence and maintaining a fully equipped conventional military.
“To be respected, you must be feared. And to be feared, you must be trained and properly equipped,” she said, adding that France’s position remains defensive.
Addressing evolving threats, including cyberattacks, she highlighted the role of intelligence services in anticipating risks.
“We are living in a world where force is increasingly taking precedence over laws and rules,” she said, reaffirming France's commitment to international law while stressing that the country is prepared to defend itself.
French Parliament approves additional $39.4 billion in defense spending amid global tensions
Separately, she said lawmakers had approved an additional €36 billion (about $39.4 billion) in defense spending by 2030, raising the annual military budget to €63.3 billion (about $69.2 billion).
“The world has changed … we have decided to move faster and act now,” she said, adding that the funding will support investments in munitions, combat aircraft, drones, counter-drone systems and space capabilities.
Vautrin said the increased spending would also support France’s defense industry, which employs around 240,000 people and is largely domestically based.
Regional tensions have remained high since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, along with disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely while maintaining a blockade on vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports through the strategic waterway.
