DEFENCE KEY FIGURES

2015 EDITION
Defence figures 2014 - 2015

1 . The State’s main missions............................................................................... 5

2 . The Defence budget......................................................................................... 7
3 . The Ministry manpower in 2014...................................................................... 13
4 . Map of French overseas operations................................................................. 17
5 . French permanent missions / French forces (excluding overseas operations)......18
6 . Armed forces’ equipment............................................................................... 19 3
7 . Comparisons between the United States and the European Union......................22

Nota: the marginal difference that may exist in the totals is due to rounded figures.
 Introduction
This brochure is a summary of the main figures concerning Defence. It presents the budget data,
the number of personnel, the armed forces’ equipment and the forces deployed in operations.
In accordance with Article 6 of the 2014-2019 Military Programming Law, an updating of this
Military Programming Law has been conducted in 2015 in order to draw consequences from the
attacks on French national territory in January 2015 and of the intensity of the French armed forces’
commitment. This updating had made it possible to reinforce French defence effort - which has
become a priority given the deterioration in the strategic context - by increasing defence expenditures
by € 3.8 bn and by reducing from 2015 to 2019 staff cuts compared to the Military Programming
Law’s initial path (with 18,750 posts which won’t be abolished). Moreover, the updating of the
Military Programming Law secures French Ministry of Defence’s financial resources by replacing
as early as 2015 the major part of the exceptional receipts foreseen in initial programming by
4 budget appropriations.
The ringfencing of the 2015 budget at € 31.4 bn will make it possible to implement completely
the priorities which are protection of the national territory, equipment and training for armed forces
and also intelligence.
 1. The State’s main missions
1.1 D
 istribution of budget appropriations among the missions of the State (2015 Initial Finance Law)
* Système de déminage pyrotechnique pour mines.

2.7 Veterans, remembrance and defence-nation links (incl. P158)*

2.8 Public aid to development
2.8 Relationships with local authorities
2.9 State’s general and territorial administration
2.9 Agriculture, food, fishing, forest and rural affairs
3.0 External action of the State
6.4 Pensions and benefit systems
7.3 Ecology, sustainable development and action
7.9 Justice
11.2 Public finance and human resources management
11.4 Jobs and employment
13.4 Territorial equality, housing and city policy
15.7 Solidarity, social insertion and equal opportunity policy
18.2 Security
25.9 Research and higher education (incl. P191) 5
36.8 Defence
66.4 School education
45.2 State financial commitments (for the record)

Payment appropriations (PA) in € bn, pensions included.

* Programme 158 (€ 101 M), entitled “Compensation for victims of anti-semitic persecutions and barbaric acts during World War II”,
is under the authority of Prime Minister’s department. It aims at assuring compensation in aid of victims (or their assignees) of
anti-semitic persecutions or barbaric acts committed during World War II.
 1.2 The Defence budget (including pensions) within the budget of the State (2015 Initial Finance Law)
Research
and higher education
8.7%
State other missions
9.3%
Ecology, sustainable development
and action
School education 2.5%
22.4% Territorial equality,
Security housing and city policy
6.2% 4.5%
Solidarity, social insertion Justice
and equal opportunity policy 2.7%
5.3% Pensions and benefit systems
Jobs and employment 2.13%

3.8%
Public finance and French MoD missions:
human resources management 13.7%
3.8% P191 Civilian and military
6 State financial dual research
0.1%
commitment
15.3% Veterans, remembrance
French Ministry of Defence: € 39.6 bn and defence-nation links
0.9%
State total: € 296.1 bn Defence
12.4%

The Ministry of Defence has credits which are allocated over three missions (Defence / Veterans, remembrance and
defence-nation links / Dual research) and which constitute 13.4% of the general State budget (excluding 10.6% pensions).
2. Defence budget
The budget system law “Loi organique relative aux lois de finances” (LOLF) sets forth the budget
according to an apportionment of credits to missions, programmes and actions.

Three missions are thus allocated to the Ministry of Defence: the “Defence” mission as such,
the “Veterans, remembrance and defence-nation links” mission, as well as the “Dual (civil and
military) research” programme which is part of the interdepartmental mission for “Research
and higher education”.

The 2015 budget of the “Defence” mission amounts to € 31.4 bn (excluding pensions)
at the same level as that of 2014. At the end of the updating of the Military Programming
Law, budget appropriations of the “Defence” mission in 2015 are going to be only made up
by € 0,23 bn of extrabudgetary resources from sales of real estate, because of the budgeted 7
€ 2.14 bn foreseen in the next Amending Finance Law and which initially had to be obtained
from the transfer of the 700 MHz frequency range.
 2.1 The LOLF-format Defence budget
Missions Programmes Actions
Environment Collection and processing of intelligence pertaining to French security
and future defence policy Future defence analysis
(144) International relations and defence diplomacy
Deterrence
Command and information management
Deployment – mobility – support
Forces’ equipment
Engagement and combat
(146)
Protection and safety
Preparation and conduct of armament operations
Foreign shares and civilian programmes
Capacity planning and conduct of operations
Readiness of land forces
Defence Readiness Readiness of naval forces
and employment of forces Readiness of air forces
(178) Logistics and joint services support
Cost overruns related to deployments abroad
Cost overruns related to domestic deployments
8 Real estate policy
Information, administration and management systems
Human resources policy
Culture and education policy
Support to defence policy
Restructuring programme
(212)
Management, support and communication
Collection and processing of intelligence pertaining to French security - Staff
working for “Environment and future defence policy” programme
Future defence - Staff working for “Environment and future defence policy” programme
Missions Programmes Actions
International relations - Staff working for “Environment and future defence policy” programme
Preparation and conduct of armament operations - Staff working for “Forces’ equipment” programme
Capacity planning and conduct of operations - Staff working for “Readiness and employment of forces” programme
Readiness of land forces - Staff working for “Readiness and employment of forces” programme
Readiness of naval forces - Staff working for “Readiness and employment of forces” programme
Support Readiness of air forces - Staff working for “Readiness and employment of forces” programme
Logistics and joint services support - Staff working for “Readiness and employment of forces” programme
to defence
Defence Cost overruns related to operations - Staff working for “Readiness and employment of forces” programme
policy
Real estate - Staff working for “Real estate” action
(212) Human resources policy - Staff working for “Resources policy” action
Culture and education policy - management and communication of historical archives of the Ministry
of Defence - Staff working for “Culture and education policy” action
Restructuring programme - Staff working for “Restructuring programme” action
Management, support and communication - Staff working for “Management, support and communication” action
Defence information day - Staff working for “Defence information day” programme
Veterans, Defence-nation Defence information day
remem- links (167) Remembrance policy
brance
and Recognition and Life debt management
9
defence- compensation Management of war disability pensions rights
nation for veterans Solidarity
links (169) Policy in favour of repatriates

Dual research in life sciences

Research Dual (civil
Dual research in information and communication sciences and technology
and higher and military)
Dual research in aerospace
education research (191)
Other dual research and technological developments
 2.2 Breakdown of credits among programmes
(including pensions, after the updating of the Military Programming Law)

€ 192 M
€ 2,598 M € 1,334 M Environment and future
€ 42 M defence policy (P144)
€ 7,088 M
Readiness and employment of forces (P178)

Support to the defence policy (P212)

Forces’ equipment (P146)

Defence-nation links (P167)

€ 9,831 M
Recognition and compensation
for veterans (P169)

Dual research (P191)

10
€ 20,683 M Total : € 41.77 bn
(including pensions)
2.3 Breakdown of the “Defence” mission’s financial resources
(including exceptional resources, after the updating of the Military Programming Law)
2015 Budget
Strategic operations in € bn
(excluding pensions)
Wage bill (T2) 10.9
Training (AOP) 1.1 Excluding
Running and specific activities (FAS) 2.4 equipment
Excluding T2 (HT2) overseas operations 0.3 € 3.8 bn
Prospects and preparation for the future (PPA) 0.5
Intelligence (RENS) 0.3
Nuclear deterrence (DIS) 3.6
Other armament operations (AOA) 1.1
Armament programmes environment (EPA) 0.1 Equipment
Programmes with major impact (PEM) 5.7 € 16.7 bn
Scheduled staff management (EPP) 0.2 11
Scheduled equipment maintenance (EPM) 3.2
Support equipment (EAC) 0.8
Defence infrastructures (INFRA) 1.1
“Defence” mission total 31.4

For the record: the marginal difference that may exist in the totals is due to rounded figures.
 2.4 Support to Defence Research and Development
The Ministry of Defence fosters and supports industrial and technological innovation. In 2015, the French MoD
allocates € 3.6 bn to Research and Development (R&D).

RESEARCH RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) AND TECHNOLOGY (R&T)
€ 3.639 bn € 864 M
• Technology demonstrations
• ONERA
• Franco-German Research
Institute in St. Louis (ISL)

CONTRACTS
TECHNOLOGY
DEFENCE DEMONSTRATIONS
STUDIES P144
€ 1.587 bn (Technology demonstrations)
• AEC* research P146 € 739 M
• Dual research P191 • Contracts concluded
• Operational with industry
12 and technical operational • Subsidies which enable
studies P144 to support innovation
• Strategic on dual matters (ASTRID,
and future-oriented studies RAPID**, PhDs,
P144 competitiveness clusters)

* French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission.

** Projects developed within Defence-Small and medium enterprises (SME) Pact.

Each larger circle doesn’t necessarily match the total sum of the inner circles.
3. The ministry manpower in 2014*
3.1 Breakdown of personnel per programme in 2014
TOTAL
SOLDIERS CIVILIANS STAFF
Defence
P144 - E nvironment and future defence policy 4,281 4,386 8,667
P178 - Readiness and employment of forces 197,973 39,243 237,216
P146 - Forces’ equipment 3,208 8,116 11,324
P212 - Support to defence policy 3,146 9,220 12,366
Veterans, remembrance and defence-nation links
P167 - Defence-nation links 308 968 1,276
TOTAL 208,916 61,933 270,849
13
In 2015, all the French Ministry of Defence workforce has been combined in the “Support to defence policy” programme (P212).

Average age of soldiers: 33.2 years old.

Average age of civilian personnel: 47.4 years old.
* Full-time equivalents (FTEs), which are annual average data.
 3.2 Breakdown of personnel per staff category in 2014
Full-time equivalents (FTEs) Actual staffing levels

Public-sector workers
employed by the Ministry of Defence Civil defence*** Operational reservists***
18,641 Officers 2,435 27,785
Category C or level III 35,017
20,914

Category B or level II
11,767

Category A or level I
10,611
Volunteers
2,148

14
Enlisted NCOs*
ranks-and-files** 95,023
76,728

* Non-commissioned officers (petty officers in the Navy).

** Leading seamen and sailors in the Navy.
*** Excluding national Gendarmerie.
3.3 Breakdown of personnel per armed force, department and service and per staff category in 2014
ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE MISCELLANEOUS* TOTAL
Officers 14,418 4,617 6,679 9,303 35,017
NCOs** 38,740 23,905** 25,584 6,794 95,023
Enlisted
ranks-and-files*** 57, 826 6,765 11,259 878 76,728

Volunteers 644 757 75 672 2,148

Subtotal servicemen 111, 628 36,044 43,597 17,647 208,916
Cat. A or level I 850 414 703 8,644 10,611
Cat. B or level II 1,070 556 772 9,369 11,767
Cat. C or level III 2,414 976 909 16,615 20,914
Public-sector workers 4,069 884 2,803 10,885 18,641
Subtotal civilians 8, 403 2,830 5,187 45,513 61,933 15
TOTAL 120,031 38,874 48,784 63,160 270,849****

* Including the Defence Health Service, the Administrative, general support and legal service, the Petrol, Oil and Lubricant
Services, the Defence Infrastructure Service, and the General Secretariat for Administration for civilian personnel.
** Non-commissioned officers (petty officers in the Navy).
*** Leading seamen and sailors in the Navy.
**** Excluding reserve personnel.
 3.4 The operational reserve manpower in 2014

76 69 111
3,056

4,324 Army (55.6%)

Navy (16.9%)

Air Force (15.6%)

Defence Health Service (11.0%)

Administrative, general support and legal service (0.3%)

Petrol, Oil and Lubricant Services (0.2%)

Defence Procurement Agency (0.4%)

Total of volunteers under ESR*: 27,785

16 4,696 15,453
* Reserve commitment.

Excluding national Gendarmerie.

4. Map of French overseas operations 
• July 2015

Manpower (military personnel from forces,

departments and services) and equipment:
from Army from Navy from Air Force

SAHEL-SAHARAN
STRIP
• SAHEL (BARKHANE) 3,500
• MALI (EUTM) 70 NEAR
• MALI (MINUSMA) 15 AND MIDDLE EAST

• IRAQ (CHAMMAL) 700

including permanent manpower of French Indian Ocean regional command
• LEBANON (UNIFIL) 900

OTHER
PARTICIPATIONS

17
UNO / EU / NATO 40
• WESTERN SAHARA (MINURSO) 13
• DRC (MONUSCO+EUSEC) 12
• LIBERIA (UNMIL)
• SINAI (MFO) 5
• BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA (ALTHEA)
• IVORY COAST (UNOCI) 10

WEST CENTRAL INDIAN

AFRICA AFRICA OCEAN
• GULF OF GUINEA • CAR (SANGARIS) 900 • ATALANTA (EUNAVFOR) 350
(CORYMBE) 350 • CAR (EUMAM) 20 • ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) 150
• CAR (MINUSCA) 10 • ONBOARD PROTECTION TEAM (OPT) 70
 5. French permanent missions / French forces 
(excluding overseas operations)
• Organization intended for 2015
PRESENCE FORCES Manpower (civilian and military personnel from forces,
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE
SOVEREIGNTY FORCES departments and services) and equipment:

from Army from Navy from Air Force

Deployment
in the North Atlantic

SENEGAL IVORY COAST NATIONAL TERRITORY GABON UAE

(French forces (French forces in Operation Permanent (French forces (French forces
in Senegal) 350 Ivory Coast) 600 Sentinel posture in Gabon) 450 in UAE) 650
of security

DJIBOUTI
(French forces
Deployment in Djibouti)1,750
in the Black Sea

Deployment
in the Eastern/
Deployment Central Mediterranean
in the Atlantic Ocean

18 Deployment
in the Gulf of Guinea
Deployment
in the Indian Ocean/
in the Persian Gulf

FRENCH FRENCH FRENCH SOUTH INDIAN NEW

POLYNESIA WEST INDIES GUIANA OCEAN ZONE CALEDONIA
(FAPF) 1,200 (FAA) 1,250 (FAG) 2,300 (FAZSOI) 1,950 (FANC) 1,600
6. Armed forces’ equipment
6.1 Army (figures on the 1st July 2015)
EQUIPMENT AMOUNT EQUIPMENT AMOUNT
Armoured vehicles 6,898 Conventional artillery 350
Combat tanks 200 155 mm self-propelled guns 121
Leclerc 200 VOA 89
Tracked armoured vehicles 155 120 mm mortars 140
VHM 53 Infantry equipment 18,552
DCL (repair tanks) 18 Felin 18,552
AMX 30 D 30 Anti-tank weapon systems 1,312
EBG & SDPMAC* 54 Milan firing stations 528
Wheeled vehicles 6,543 Hot 30
AMX 10 RCR 248 Eryx 678
ERC 90 Sagaie 100 Javelin 76
VBCI 629 Helicopters 285
Troop transport (all types of LAVs**) 2,895 All types of Gazelle 110
LAVs (PVP) 1,183 Tigre 51
LAVs (VBL-VB2L) 1,470 Cougar 26
Aravis 14 Puma SA 330 75 19
Buffalo 4 Caracal 8
Caiman 15
Training helicopters 18
* Pyrotechnic mine disposal system for anti-tank mines. Fennec*** 18
** Light armoured vehicles. Liaison aircraft 13
*** Training fleet (EC120 Colibri) has been outsourced. TBM 700 (8), Pilatus (5)
Ground-to-air weapon systems 221
Upgraded Mistral firing stations 221
 6.2 Navy (figures on the 1st July 2015)
EQUIPMENT AMOUNT EQUIPMENT AMOUNT
Combat and support ship 71 On-board aircraft 58
Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine 4 Rafale 38
Nuclear-powered attack submarine 6 Modernized Super-Etendard 17
Aircraft carrier 1 Hawkeye – E2C 3
Amphibious ship 3 Maritime patrol aircraft 23
1st rank frigate1 16 Atlantique 2 23
Surveillance frigate 6 Maritime surveillance 12
Falcon 50 (4 F50 Mi - 3 F50 Ms) 7
Offshore patrol vessel2 18
Falcon 200 5
Mine counter-measure vessel 11 Combat and rescue helicopter 54
Support ship 3 Caiman Marine (Navy) (13), Panther (19), Lynx (20),
France’s overseas departments and territories Dauphin Pedro (2)
3
support ship3 Public service helicopter 10
Landing craft 19 EC225 2
Landing craft mechanized (LCM) (15), LCAT (4) Dauphin SP 8
Coastguard 30 Maritime support aviation 45
Patrol boat and costal cutter4 Alouette III (21), Falcon 10 (6), Xingu (11), Cap 10 (7)
Oceanography and hydrography 4
Ocean going hydrographic vessel 1- 2 anti-aircraft frigates, 2 air defence frigates, 5 anti-submarine frigates,
Channel mine clearance and surveillance 7 5 La Fayette-class light frigates, 2 European multi-mission frigates.
20 Base ship for mine clearance 2- 9 corvettes (offshore patrol vessels), 4 coastal patrol vessels,
5 public service patrol ships.
and sonar towing vessel
3- 2 light support ships and 1 refuelling tug.
Auxiliary ship 13 4- 6 coastal patrol boats (including 2 patrol boats for surveillance of sensitive sites,
Assistance, rescue, support and pollution control transferred in July 2015), 24 coastal surveillance cutters.
ship and ocean going tug5
5- 4 intervention, assistance and safety tugs, 2 sea tugboats, 3 regional support ships,
Training 14 4 support assistance and cleaning-up ships.
Navy academy training ship and sailing boat6 6- 8 training ships, 2 sailing schooners, 4 sailing cutters.
Scientific and experimentation ship 4
Testing and experimentation ship
6.3 Air Force (figures on the 1st July 2015)
EQUIPMENT AMOUNT EQUIPMENT AMOUNT
Combat aircraft 202 Training aircraft 131
Rafale (omnirole) 76 Epsilon (pilot’s initial training)* 33
Mirage 2000 N (nuclear and conventional assault) 23 Alpha Jet (fighter pilot’s training)** 75
Mirage 2000 D (conventional assault) 63 Xingu (transport pilot’s training) 23
Mirage 2000-5 and 2000 C (air defence) 34 Helicopters 80
Fennec (Air defence - air security
Mirage 2000 B (transformation) 6 41
active measures)
Transport aircraft 80 Caracal (Combat Search and Rescue) 11
A340 and A310 (strategic airlift) 5 HeliSuper Puma and Puma (Transport, Search and Rescue)t 7928
C160 Transall (tactical transport) 27 UAVs (delivered by air) 7
C130 Hercules (tactical transport) 14 Harfang 4
CN235 (tactical transport light) 27 Reaper 3
A400M Atlas (tactical transport with strategic range) 7 Ground-to-air weapon systems 21
Support aircraft 20 Crotale NG 12
C135FR and KC 135 (tanker aircraft) 14 SAMP “Mamba” 9
E-3F SDCA (airborne detection command and control) 4
C160G (electromagnetic intelligence gathering) 2
Liaison aircraft 27
A330, Falcon 7X, Falcon 900 and Falcon 2000 7
(aircraft for governmental use)
TBM 700 and DHC6 (liaison aircraft) 20
21

* Management of training aircraft Grob 120 and Cirrus SR20 and SR22 has been outsourced.
** Excluding Patrouille de France.
 22
Defence budget in 2014 (bn€, in purchasing power parity)

0
100
200
300
400
500
600
United States

490.1
3.4%
United Kingdom

39.6
2.0%
Poland

12.0
1.5%
France

31.4
1.5%

All countries of
and the European Union*

1.2%

184.0
European Union

Germany

* Excluding pensions.
32.4
1.1%

Netherlands
6.6
1.0%

Italy
7. Comparisons between the United States

15.9
0.9%

Spain
11.8
0.9%
3.5%
4.0%

0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%

Defence budget in 2014

(as a percentage of Gross domestic product [GDP])
For further information

Ministry of Defence website

www.defense.gouv.fr

Sources:
• 2015 Initial Finance Law
• 2014-2015 Defence Statistical Yearbook
23
• 2014 Social Report
• 2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security
• 2014-2019 Military Programming (bill)
 Project manager: Franck Leclerc
Contributors: SGA (DAF, DRH-MD), EMA/COM, SIRPA (Army, Navy, Air Force), DGA/COMM, CSRM
Head of publishing office: Commander Jérôme Baroë
Art director: Jean-Charles Mougeot
Graphic designer: Christine Pirot
Sub-editor: Isabelle Arnold
Manufacturing: Thierry Lepsch - distribution: Flight Sergeant Ebtissam Bellammou
© July 2015 - Printed by: Loire offset Titoulet

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