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In late October 2011 France concluded its support of NATO military operations over Libya and around the countrys coastline, following the conclusion of the Alliances efforts to protect civilians against forces loyal to the ousted dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. This leaves the French deployment to Afghanistan as the only major NATO-led operation in which the country continues to participate. Beyond their anticipated withdrawal from the troubled Central Asian country in circa-2014/2015, Frances armed forces may well embark on a period of reflection regarding the lessons learned from these two very different operations; and the road ahead for its army, navy and air force.

France continues to maintain the worlds third-largest defence budget, the largest defence budget in Europe and is pressing ahead with a number of important re-equipment programmes across all three services. The country is currently moving through the personnel, procurement and spending commitments outlined by its 2008 Defence White Paper, which has continued the reorientation of Frances armed services away from Cold War European security tasks towards coalition, out-of-area and counter-insurgency operations.

The personnel strength of all three armed services, as they stand today, comprise around 230,750 active personnel, although this number is expected to reduce in the coming years. France is also expected to reduce its presence in Africa in the short-term, although the fractious security situation in countries such as Côte dIvoire, and the interventionist stance that Paris has taken there in recent years, could slow this process. Away from Africa, the presence of France in the Gulf and Indian Ocean regions has deepened with the deployment of French warships, aircraft and troops to a new military base in the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, the French base in Djibouti remains vital to operations in East Africa and the Indian Ocean. France continues to maintain its nuclear deterrent, and is not expected to renounce this capability, which enjoys broad domestic political and public support, in the near future. Nevertheless, cooperation with the United Kingdom is expected to occur over the next 20-30 years regarding the design of the next generation of nuclear warhead, which will equip the future strategic weapons to be used by each nation. At the conventional level, the two countries will cooperate on the development of Medium-Altitude, Long- Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Other ongoing conventional procurements for the French armed forces include new nuclear attack submarines, frigates and combat aircraft for the navy. The air force, meanwhile, is receiving new strategic transport aircraft, tankers, combat aircraft, and command and control systems. The armys capabilities are being similarly enhanced with new soldier modernisation equipment, battle management systems, armoured vehicles, self-propelled artillery and air defence equipment. The enhancement of joint capabilities includes the acquisition of new reconnaissance and ballistic missile early warning satellites. All of these procurements are expected to continue and remain broadly on schedule over the next 12 months.