The Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association has the
honour to present its report on the Visit to Paris and Nancy, France by the
Defence and Security Committee Sub-committee on Transatlantic Defence and
Security Co-operation, held April 27-29, 2009. The visit was led by
Sub-committee Chair, Senator Joseph Day.
OVERVIEW
The group, composed of 25 members of parliament from 15
different NATO and partner countries, held discussions with senior French
officials and parliamentarians and visited several military facilities. The
main themes of discussion included French defence planning and deployments, its
approach to the Atlantic Alliance, the development of European Security and
Defence Policy (ESDP), and the challenging evolution of security in the
Afghanistan/Pakistan region. The delegation also discussed French and NATO
efforts on cyber-defence.
Among the conclusions taken away from the visit by the
Delegation were the following:
* France is in the midst of a major defence reform,
guided by its 2008 White Paper on Defence as well as the Multiyear Military
Programme Act 2009-2014, which mark significant shifts in the French strategic
outlook and mandate important modifications in its physical facilities,
equipment and manpower;
* The full return of France into the integrated military
structure of NATO, although hotly debated in France before its approval by
Parliament, is in line with the evolution of French strategic thinking over the
last 15 years and allows France its full position in planning for Allied
operations in which it is one of the principal contributors;
* France currently deploys approximately 36,000 troops
abroad, including 13,000 in operations in five theatres, 37% of which serve
under the NATO banner;
* Despite the financial crisis, French defence spending
is increasing and will remain substantial through 2020, and indeed is described
as contributing to the government’s simulative response to the crisis.
FRENCH DEFENCE PLANNING AND REFORMS
The delegation’s visit was opened by French Defence
Minister Hervé MORIN. Mr. Morin described the ongoing reforms of French defence
policy and institutions. A major milestone in the process was the 2008 White
Paper on Defence and National Security. The Paper redefined the strategic
context for defence planning and presented a new national security strategy for
France, according to Mr. Morin.
The Paper codified the evolving French view that the
threat of territorial conflict on the European continent had receded, but that
France had to be prepared to face a wider array of challenges in an instable
world and general strategic uncertainty. It identified an arc of potential
instability, from Mauritania to Afghanistan, and identified potential threats
from such non-traditional challenges as global warming and proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction. In the face of such a changed world, French
defence also had to evolve, according to Mr. Morin.
Defence officials suggested that the White Paper
emphasized five main areas:
1) knowledge and anticipation, through capabilities
that ensured French autonomy of assessment and decision
2) deterrence, relying on the French nuclear force
which remains the ultimate guarantee of the national security and contributes
to the security of Europe
3) prevention of conflicts and crisis, using a
comprehensive approach and relying on a balanced and legitimate international
system
4) protection of the country against large scale
crisis, as well as reinforcing national resilience against, for example, attacks
against critical infrastructure
5) and intervention where necessary across the entire
spectrum of operations, from stabilisation to high intensity warfare.
In line with the new priorities outlined in the White
Paper, Mr. Morin announced in July a major restructuring of the French armed
forces, which was to be subsequently approved by Parliament in the Multiyear
Military Programme Act 2009-2014. The main purposes of the restructuring
included an increased focus on operationally deployable forces through rationalization
of spending and the elimination of redundant support structures.
More specifically, Morin outlined plans for the closure
of a number of facilities, as well as the mutualisation across services of
basic administrative and other support systems (to be completed by 2014).
Altogether, plans called for a total personnel reduction of 54,000. In
contrast to other ministries, which must return budget savings to the general
budget for re-distribution, all savings generated by the restructuring would
remain with the Defence Ministry, largely for investment in equipment.
Morin also stated that in addition to the above efforts,
3.7 billion euros had been budgeted over 2009-2010 to address essential
unfunded budget expenditures inherited from the previous government. In all,
France has planned for a defence budget increase of a scale unseen since 1958.
Josselin DE ROHAN, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs,
Defence and Armed Forces Committee at the Senate and Head of the French
Delegation to the NATO PA, underlined the importance of these measures,
suggesting that it was imperative not to let our guard down in a world in which
the number and complexity of crises was only increasing. France would continue
to support a strong defence while seeking to spend its budgets more
effectively, prioritizing operational capabilities.
One area of particular focus for new investment is the
area of awareness and intelligence. Several speakers made reference to the
lessons learned from the Kosovo conflict, in which France had had to rely on
American satellite imagery because French assets lacked all-weather
capabilities. New investments were being made to correct such deficiencies.
The French Air Force was reforming in accordance with
the broader defence reforms outlined above, according to Lieutenant General
Jean-Paul MARTIN, the Commander of Air Forces Command. The closure of at least
eight bases is envisaged, as well as a reorganization of the command
structure. In the NATO context, the French Air Force has contributed to air
policing operations in and over the Baltic’s as well as Iceland, twice
delegating firing control to NATO authorities – a first for French forces.
France also makes an important contribution to NATO efforts in Afghanistan;
approximately 600 Air Force personnel are deployed in Central Asia, with 400 in
Afghanistan proper, supporting 11 to 15 combat airframes.
FRANCE AND NATO
Axel PONIATOWSKI, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs
Committee of the French National Assembly, admitted that at first he had doubts
about President Sarkozy’s plans to reintegrate NATO’s military command
structure. However, on reflection, he understood that the global strategic
context had changed, and that France had been moving closer to NATO for
decades, participating in up to 38 of 40 NATO Committees and in all NATO
operations. In this light, it made no sense to remain outside of the
structures which planned operations French forces participated in. Mr.
Poniatowski suggested that French influence in NATO would increase, and allow
for the further development of ESDP by, for example, dispelling false
impressions that France had a ‘hidden agenda.’ He also suggested that it was
important that France would retain its full nuclear independence from NATO, a
position set out by President Sarkozy from the beginning of discussions on the
issue.
Several interlocutors, including Senator De Rohan,
insisted that NATO and the EU must be complimentary and work together based on
where each could add value. Mr. De Rohan suggested that the European Union
(EU) needed independent means of action; in this light, France continued to
seek solutions to develop an independent EU Military Operational headquarters,
a move opposed by the UK.
Regarding France’s role in NATO, Defence Minister Morin
suggested that this would change little in the armed forces’ day-to-day
operations, other than the addition of 800-900 French officers to the NATO
command structure, costing approximately 90 million euro to support.
The Defence Ministry’s Colonel Philippe MONTOCCHIO
described the French view of the Alliance in the context of the coming debate
on a new NATO Strategic Concept. Warning that the development of a new concept
had the potential to expose deep divisions within the Alliance, Montocchio
suggested the exercise should not be taken for granted. He suggested that
France sought a NATO that was realistic, reasonable and balanced, in which
member states fully took on their responsibilities. The Alliance, whose
principal mission is collective defence, must also take on other functions
while not presenting itself as the solution to all security problems facing any
given Ally. It must also work to continue to reform and seek ways of ensuring
budgetary contributions are spent as effectively as possible. Finally, he
suggested that acquiring collective capabilities in the context of one
organization does not allow for the necessary flexibility to confront today’s
challenges; France would therefore prioritize national or multinational (groups
of several states) acquisition programs.
OTHER ISSUES
Discussing operations in Afghanistan and the closely
linked political situation in Pakistan, Jean-Luc RACINE from the Centre
National de la Recherche Scientifique suggested that among Pakistan’s
fundamental goals was to prevent the emergence of a pro-Indian government in
Kabul. Within Pakistani security structures, the situation remains confused,
with some elements in continuing contact with militant groups used as proxies
against India in Kashmir, which turned against the Pakistani state. The
expansion of militant groups and radical tactics beyond the tribal areas is a
major challenge. It remained an open question whether the Taliban, in its view
having gained territory both in Pakistan and Afghanistan over the last years
and facing a weakened Karzai government and fading international commitment,
would seek agreement to end the conflict on terms acceptable to the west.
France was deeply involved in anti-piracy operations,
according to defence officials, who reminded the delegation of France’s early
involvement and key role in proposing the EU’s Operation Atlanta. France
continued to operate principally in the EU context given that organization’s
comprehensive and coherent military and legal approach to the problem. It was
suggested that a longer-term approach would have to seek to bring regional
actors to bear and encouraging them to appropriate the problem. Cooperation
between NATO and the EU has been excellent on this issue.
The cyber attacks on Estonia in the spring of 2007, as
well as evidence that French diplomats had been targeted by cyber-spying later
that autumn, alerted the French Senate to the extent of this new and rising
threat, according to
Roger ROMANI, Deputy Speaker of the Senate and author of
the report
« Cyberdefence: a New National Security Issue ». Along
with Patrick PAILLOUX, an expert from the General Secretariat of the National
Defence, he briefed the delegation on French efforts to combat this significant
threat to national security.
Cyber attacks constitute a multi-faceted threat,
including for example information theft, denial of service attacks, efforts to
impact critical physical services such as electricity or transportation, and
battlefield efforts to disrupt military communications. The attacks are
perpetrated by criminal groups, national intelligence services, and potentially
terrorists groups. Mr. Romani called for increased resources for cyberdefence
efforts, including money, expertise, and equipment. He also called for better
organization across government agencies, the private sector, and information
network operators, as well as international organizations. Finally, he
commended the efforts of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in compiling a report
on the subject this year, and recommended to national parliaments to also take
up this critical issue if they had not yet done so.
Respectfully
submitted,
Mr. Leon Benoit,
Chair Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association
(NATO PA)