France intends to lay out EUR101 billion (USD129 billion) for new military equipment between 2009 and 2014 out of a global defence budget of EUR150 billion over the six-year period, Defence Minister Herve Morin said in Paris on 29 October. Presenting a new French military allocation programme, Morin said that the spending plan was "achievable and realistic" despite difficulties facing France's economy. He did concede, however, that "there is a risk we may have to adjust the figures if there is a dramatic change for the worse" in times ahead. The minister said that outlays on fresh hardware would remain steady at around EUR16.9 billion annually for the first four years of the 2009-14 timeframe and then rise to EUR 17.3 billion and EUR18 billion respectively in 2013 and 2014. In the first four years the amounts will be slightly less than the figures stated in the plan but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will work to make up the difference by selling off an estimated EUR3.5 billion worth of military property in the country and selling radio-frequency bands to private operators. In addition, the MoD is to eliminate 54,000 jobs from its 271,000-strong payroll by 2014, freeing up money for equipment.
展开▼
