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Defence cooperation


Southern mistral exercise logo: From March 21^st 2011 until March 25^th 2011, French and British forces successfully completed several aerial missions and a specific raid in preparation for a long distance conventional strike.

Steps of the French and British cooperation

France’s return to NATO’s military command

On March 11^th 2009, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced France’s return to NATO’s Integrated Military Command Structure. The reintegration was approved by the National Assembly on March 17^th and endorsed during the NATO Summit in Strasbourg (France) and Kehl (Germany) on April 3-4 2009. France reintegrates the Defence Planning Committee. France has assumed command of the Allied Command Transformation (General Stéphane Abrial, former Chief of the French Air Force) and of the Allied Joint Force Command Lisbon (Lieutenant General Philippe Stoltz) since the reintegration.

This decision has been important : France reaffirmed its attachment to NATO, which it considers as the key tool of Western defence.

Moreover, France’s reintegration within NATO’s integrated military command structure has contributed to the rapprochement with the United Kingdom, which has been a member of NATO’s integrated command since the creation of the organisation. The participation of both countries to the NATO operation in Libya has actively contributed to the reinforcement of the bilateral cooperation.

Sources: French Ministry of Defence, Defence Review

Signature of the Lancaster House treaties, November 2^nd 2010

On November 2^nd 2010, France and the United Kingdom signed two treaties for defence and security cooperation at the Lancaster House Summit in London. The treaties aim at the rapprochement of both countries’ armed forces and industries so that the UK and France can face together the new security challenges, optimize their defence capabilities, secure a return on their defence investment and stimulate the industrial cooperation. But the main objective of this historical rapprochement is to allow France and the United Kingdom to maintain their status of global military powers - despite the reduction of their defence budgets – while retaining their national sovereignty and independence regarding the decision to deploy their own forces.

The first treaty deals with defence and security cooperation which, for the first time, defines the general framework of the Anglo-British cooperation and establishes an unprecedented partnership, in accordance with the sovereignty of each party. This text has a very broad extent and provides perspective for future cooperation. It creates a Senior Level Group, which includes the British National Security Adviser, the French diplomatic adviser, and the French Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic. The treaty relies on a Joint Letter of Intent, chaired by the Chiefs of Defence Staff for the operational aspects, and on a government High Level Working Group, chaired by the Délégué Général pour l’Armement and his counterpart for procurement, research, expertise, tests and industrial matters.

The second treaty is specific and concerns joint X-Ray and hydrodynamic infrastructures for nuclear cooperation – more precisely the modelling of the performances of nuclear warheads. This cooperation will mainly rely on an infrastructure that will be built and operated jointly in Valduc, near Dijon (EPURE, experimental physics infrastructure, Direction des applications militaries of the CEA). The goal will be to carry out laboratory experiments that are essential to guarantee the functioning of nuclear arms and their safety. Experiments will be led in accordance with the international commitments of both countries which ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and absolutely do not call into question the independence of each national deterrence. A technological centre will also be built in Aldermaston (Atomic Weapons Establishment laboratory). This treaty will allow important savings for both countries.

A statement on the cooperation for defence and security has completed these treaties and listed the main cooperation projects:

force projection, with the creation of a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF). This force is not permanent but available at short notice and able to lead highly intense operations;

the interoperability of aircraft carriers for which the British decision to set up catapults has been determinant;

the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with the launching in 2011 of an assessment phase financed jointly in order to develop new equipments between 2015 and 2020; in the long term, the joint assessment of the next generation of UAVs (2030);

missiles, with the announcement of the establishment of a single European prime contractor allowing up to 30% of savings and the future launching of joint projects (light anti-ship missiles, SCALP renovation, etc…);

technologies and equipments for the next generation of nuclear submarines;

war systems against sea mines;

the next generation of communications by satellite;

the cooperation regarding the support of the transport aircraft A400M;

the preparation of the future, by launching joint research and technology activities.

Sources: French Ministry of Defence, Office of the Defence Attaché

France and the United Kingdom participate jointly to two foreign operations

Afghanistan: since October 2011, France has been engaged militarily in Afghanistan with the United Kingdom and other NATO allies, for the restoration of the country’s stability and sovereignty, as part of the International Security Assistance Force, authorized by the UN Security Council resolution 1386 and subsequent resolutions. France currently enlists 3 600 soldiers and the United Kingdom 9 500. The alliance has planned the end of offensive operations and the transfer of authority to the Afghan forces by the end of 2014. Deployed in different provinces, the French and British troops share the same mission and goals: securing the areas they are responsible for to allow development, rebuilding operations, and the deployment of state services, and to support the rise of Afghan security forces to allow Afghanistan to take over security missions.

Piracy: Since November 2008, both countries have also participated with their European allies to the EU Operation Atalanta for the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden. This operation aims at deterring and preventing piracy acts off the Somali coast, and therefore aims at supporting the UN World Food Programme providing supplies to Somalia and protecting merchant vessels crossing the area.

Recent operation:

Libya: between March 19^th and October 31^st 2011, on the UN mandate following the vote of the UNSC resolution 1973, France and the United Kingdom intervened jointly in Libya, as part of a NATO mission. To ensure the protection of Libyan civilians, the coalition led no-fly zone missions, reduced loyalist forces’ defence capabilities, and struck military targets threatening the Libyan population. France and the United Kingdom both intervened with advanced air devices, engaging – among others – the French fighter aircrafts Rafale and Mirage 2000and the British Typhoon and Tornado. Important naval and airlifted capabilities have also been used in this operation, in particular the unities of the air and sea group of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and those of the British Response Force Task Group around the HMS Ocean. The lessons identified in this operation participate to the development of the CJEF.

Sources: French Ministry of Defence, MoD

Reference documents