French President Emmanuel Macron convened the representatives of key defense manufacturers at the Élysée Palace on Friday, March 14, to assess the country’s ability to ramp up weapons production.

According to Le Figaro, the meeting included major defense firms such as Safran, Thales, Naval Group, Dassault, and KNDS, along with representatives from 4,000 small and medium-sized defense enterprises.

Macron sought to determine whether the industry could increase output and at what pace, while manufacturers aimed to secure government guarantees.

On Thursday, French Industry Minister Marc Ferracci emphasized the government’s reliance on manufacturers to scale up production.

France’s defense industry produces a wide range of military equipment, from nuclear submarines to combat aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, and missiles. The country has large companies that are represented in all vectors of the defense industry.

In February, the French army ordered 530 Serval Appui SCORPION armored vehicles, valued at over €1 billion, for phased delivery from late 2025 to 2031.

The contract, worth more than a billion euros, involves KNDS, Texelis, MBDA, and CS Group, supporting domestic production.

The investment is being made under the Multipurpose Light Tactical Vehicle (VLTP) program.

The Ministry of Armed Forces of France is also investing €600 million to enhance national air defense capabilities.
Funds will go toward acquiring new air defense systems, modernizing existing ones, and developing new technologies between 2024 and 2030.

At the end of 2024, the Directorate General of Armaments delivered the first MEPAC self-propelled mortar, based on the Griffon armored vehicle, to the French army.

In early March, the French President ordered an acceleration of military aid to Ukraine, aiming to offset delays in U.S. support following its suspension by Donald Trump.