air components have particular advantages the foundation for strategic research in paris
explained in a 2019 study the first is accuracy which is currently much better than sea-based
ballistic components that's the reason why if it can participate in the full spectrum of nuclear
missions it's invaluable either for warning execution or for limited and tailored planning
in other words the nuclear armed rafales gave paris the choice of
its intention to wage nuclear war or carry out a limited atomic attack
all without providing the location of a more powerful submarine poker is the mechanism
by which the french air force trains this particular atom but there are also components
every three months dozens of fighters tankers and radars of the french air force take off at
bases across france form over the atlantic ocean then split up and practice breaking
through air defenses and dropping bombs on french soil these quarterly drills codenamed
poker did not prepare french troops for nuclear war they were also an important
boosting tool as france aimed to fill the time the united states was destabilizing in europe
france's vital interests now have a european dimension
macron said this february he invited france's european allies to join the
french military war games possibly including poker practice european partners who wish to
do so will be able to take part in exercises with french preventive war games macron said
it is not clear what exactly this means it is also unclear whether any countries have
accepted macron's invitation but the offer is still there and the opportunities are plenty
france pretends to go nuclear four times a year and it shows no sign of stopping
according to the london-based international institute for strategic studies the latest
poker involved a nuclear strike force including a dozen french air force rafale fighter bombers
plus three air tankers c-135 fr or a330 and e3 radar planes the defense force
includes eight warplanes either refalls or mirage 2000s plus at least one tanker
the plan was to form an assault force from several bases off the northwest coast of france
the tankers would then drag the fighters south to the franco-spanish border then east across france
into the mediterranean sea there the nuclear profiles would split up from the e3 and tankers
drop to low levels and attempt to get past fighter planes and surface-to-air missile systems before
simulating a nuclear strike most likely via the 300-mile as mpa scramjet cruise missile
when the united states under president donald trump began to withdraw from international
alliances while also increasing the production of new and provocative types of nuclear weapons
french president emmanuel macron began to engage in a kind of atomic diplomacy
americas european allies could once rely on american nukes for deterrence
macron and his government have urged them to look to france
the french government rarely announces poker war games but made an exception in february 2019.
we europeans cannot remain spectators of our own security said defence minister florence parley
weapons will become dolls french policy prohibits warplanes from carrying live
nukes during peacetime poker war games usually follow the same basic plan
the duration of the assailant's surprise attacks up to four hours corresponds to the time of the
flight from the french base to western russia and back paris began organizing poker drills
shortly after forming an aerial nuclear strike force with mirage 4 and c135fr bombers in 1964.
the paris nuclear deterrent also includes four french naval submarines each with 16
m51 intercontinental ballistic missiles the french navy's rafale fighter which flies from
the fleet's sole aircraft carrier can also carry nukes france's atomic arsenal includes
about 300 warheads france's nuclear power structure is unique in europe where britain
deployed all its atomic weapons on submarines france stubbornly defended airborne nukes