Is France Doubling its Fleet of Nuclear-Armed Fighters?

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the planned opening of a fourth airbase hosting with nuclear-capable fighter aircraft, stating that Luxeuil Air Base in eastern France is set to host <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/f35-rafale-worsening-supply-chain-struggle" target="_blank">Rafale fighters</a> capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Citing the ongoing war in Ukraine as a factor which had “changed the situation,” the senator for the region Cedric Perrin confirmed that the first Rafale squadron would touch down at Luxeuil in 2032, and would gain an operational capability the following year, followed by a second operational squadron in 2036. Currently only facilities at Saint-Dizier, Istres, and Avord have&nbsp;secure weapons storage facilities for nuclear-armed missiles to equip fighters. An outstanding question, however, remains whether the the 40 nuclear-tasked Rafales set to be based at Luxeuil would be commissioned&nbsp; in addition to France’s existing 40 nuclear-tasked fighters, or as a direct replacement. The announcement of plans for the new facility raises the possibility that France could effectively double its nuclear-capable air fleet. France lacks cruise or ballistic missiles launched from the ground or from surface ships capable of delivering nuclear warheads, which makes its nuclear delivery capability using fighter aircraft particularly critical. &nbsp;<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/03/24/article_67e0c4cee898e8_49330440.png" title="President Emmanuel Macron Meets French Airmen" >France’s increased investment in its offensive nuclear capabilities occurs at a time when European states have faced growing uncertainty over the commitment of the United States to their collective security interests. The French government was reported in February to be considering options for the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/future-european-nuclear-capabilities-uncertain-france-nuke-capable-rafale" target="_blank">deployment</a> of nuclear armed Rafale fighters to Germany, with subsequent calls having been made by German’s chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz for talks with his British and French colleagues about European “nuclear sharing or at least nuclear security.” France remains the only European state with an independent airborne nuclear strike capability, as the United Kingdom relies solely on its strategic submarine-based nuclear arsenal, while the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany and Turkey rely on American B61 warheads stored at U.S. military bases on their territories under <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/f35s-cert-stealthy-nuclear-strike" >nuclear sharing agreements</a>.<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/03/24/article_67e0c4fede0439_46823638.png" title="Rafale Configured For Nuclear Strike with ASMP-A Missile"> France’s aerial nuclear delivery capabilities are limited by the capabilities of the Rafale fighter, which lacks the advanced stealth capabilities of fifth generation aircraft such as the American F-35 or Russian Su-57, uses significantly weaker engines, and carries a much smaller less powerful sensor suite. France remains the only nuclear weapons state <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/france-set-to-be-last-nuclear-weapons-state-without-stealth-fighter" target="_blank">without a clear path</a> to fielding a fifth generation fighter, with its refusal to procure the F-35 set to leave it as the only major air force in Europe without such aircraft, while the joint Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) next generation fighter program is <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/dassault-chief-highlights-european-sixth-gen-fighter-could-come-25-years-behind-u-s-and-china" target="_blank">not expected</a> to produce a fighter until the 2050s. Investment in the development of new generations of nuclear-armed air-to-ground weapons has provided a less costly means of mitigating the vulnerability of the French nuclear force.&nbsp;