BRITTANY, FRANCE — French President Emmanuel Macron launched an advanced deterrence framework in early March, offering European partners strategic dialogues, invitations to French nuclear exercises, and potential forward basing of French dual-capable aircraft. This announcement followed his visit to a submarine base in Brittany. Additionally, the French government announced plans to increase its nuclear warhead count and stated it would no longer publicly disclose the size of its nuclear arsenal.

Several European nations, including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, have agreed to participate in this European dimension of the French nuclear deterrent. A bilateral nuclear steering group was established between France and Germany, marking Germany's first formal nuclear coordination effort outside of NATO. Macron stated that this framework was developed in coordination with Washington and is intended to complement NATO's nuclear mission. German Chancellor Merz and Macron said the cooperation will add to existing NATO nuclear arrangements rather than replace them.

Macron stated that any forward deployment of French nuclear forces would be temporary. Such deployments would involve Rafale jets carrying ASMPA-R nuclear cruise missiles during multinational exercises and specific situational deployments. Under the French proposal, nuclear weapon delivery will remain exclusively under French crews operating from allied airfields on rotation. Macron said, "There is no need for symmetry of arsenals."

National Rally leader Marine Le Pen characterized the advanced deterrence framework as a distribution of French nuclear resources. Le Pen said, "Deterrence commits the Nation." The party's candidates are leading in public opinion polls ahead of the 2027 French presidential election.