France proposes expanding nuclear deterrence across Europe - 10 partners join, Paris retains launch authority The proposal includes potential temporary deployments, joint exercises, intelligence sharing and infrastructure cooperation. Permanent establishment arrangements have not been announced. President Macron officially presented the doctrine of deterrence (forward deterrence) on March 2, 2026. Its main features include: - Temporary deployment of nuclear-capable French aircraft to Allied European airfields.
- Joint nuclear deterrence exercises with the participation of European partners.
- Greater cooperation in early warning, intelligence and communication systems.
- Dispersion of French strategic aircraft during crises, complicating the targeting calculations of opponents. France will retain sole authority over the use of its nuclear weapons. Neither NATO nor the host country will be authorized to launch the participating countries: Great Britain Germany Poland Netherlands Belgium Greece Sweden Denmark Norway Finland It is important to note that Finland has explicitly stated that it does not intend to place nuclear weapons on its territory in peacetime. This highlights the difference between joining the program and agreeing to host nuclear weapons. —. Italy was invited to join the initiative but declined France has also announced plans to restore a nuclear aviation mission at Luxeuil air base, with additional Rafale squadrons planned by 2035. This expansion is important because the current force is relatively small for a strategy that includes scattered deployments across several countries. Macron previously announced that France would increase its nuclear arsenal and stop publicly disclosing its size.