French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday, March 2, 2026, that France will increase its nuclear warheads for the first time in decades and, for the first time, allow the temporary deployment of nuclear-armed aircraft to European allies as part of a major update to the country’s nuclear doctrine.
Speaking at the heavily secured Île Longue naval base in Brittany — home to France’s ballistic missile submarine fleet — Macron delivered the speech in front of the nuclear-powered submarine Le Téméraire. He introduced a new framework of “advanced deterrence” (dissuasion avancée) to strengthen Europe’s security amid geopolitical upheaval.
“To be free, we have to be feared,” Macron declared. “An upgrade of our arsenal is essential. That’s why I ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in our arsenal.
”France currently maintains an estimated 290-300 warheads on submarine- and air-launched systems, at an annual cost of roughly €5.6 billion. Macron said the expansion is necessary to ensure “assured destructive power” in the face of evolving threats. He also announced that a new nuclear-armed submarine, named The Invincible, will enter service in 2036. France will no longer publicly disclose the exact size of its arsenal going forward.
The centrepiece of the new strategy is closer integration with European partners. Eight countries — Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark — will participate in French nuclear deterrence exercises, including air-launched components of the Force de Frappe. Selected allies may temporarily host French nuclear-capable Rafale jets on their territory.
Macron stressed that decision-making authority over any nuclear strike remains exclusively with the French president, with “full respect for our sovereignty.” A new France-Germany nuclear steering group will begin concrete cooperation this year, including joint exercises and site visits.
The announcements, planned well before recent Middle East developments, respond to Russia’s war in Ukraine now entering its fifth year, uncertainties over U.S. commitments under President Donald Trump, and broader strategic risks. Macron described the coming decades as “an era of nuclear weapons” and positioned the French deterrent as complementary to — but distinct from — NATO arrangements.
European leaders welcomed the initiative. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signalled strong support, viewing it as a step toward greater European strategic autonomy.