National defense (France) - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

This article treats only great principles of the national defense in France and of its political organization. The details concerning military defense, the organization of the armed forces and the budget of defense are to be sought in the articles:

General principles

Defense has the aim of insuring in any time, all circumstances and against all the forms of aggression, the safety and the integrity of the territory, as well as the life of the population. She provides in the same way for the respect with alliances, treaties and international agreements. ( Article L. 1111-1 of the code Defense )

Kingly political office, the Défense is national because it relates to not only military defense and the armed forces , but also all the administrations responsible for the main categories of functions or resources essential with the life of the country (global design of defense).

It rests on the following principles:

globality: it relates to all the population and all the sectors of the life of the country (civil defense, economic and military)
permanence: it is organized as of the time of peace
unit: it is directed by the government
devolution: an authority is responsible at each level for the territory
independence: not to depend on another State or an alliance to ensure its defense

General organization

Central structures

the President of the Republic , “parking national independence and integrity of the Territoire” is “chief of the armies” (articles 5 and 15 of the Constitution);
the Defense policy is defined in the Council of Ministers .
the decisions concerning the head office of defense are made in Conseil of defense . The council of defense, chaired by the President of the Republic, includes/understands the Prime Minister, the Ministers for defense, the foreign affairs, the interior, the economy and finances, like, as a need, any other minister concerned with the day order.
the decisions concerning the direction of military defense are made in Cautious advice , chaired by the President of the Republic or by the Prime Minister;
the Prime Minister is responsible for the head office of national defense. He lays out of a central body the General secretary of National defense (SGDN) in charge with interdepartmental coordination as regards Défense and safety.
In each ministry a senior official of defense and safety at least is responsible for the organization, the preparation and the implementation of measurements of specific defense and safety to its department.
the Institut of the high studies of national defense (IHEDN) has the role of preparing high ranking officials, pertaining to all the professional sectors of the nation, the major contemporary problems of defense.
the ministry for Defense is responsible for the execution of the military policy, the organization, the Gestion, the setting in condition of use and the mobilization of the whole of the armed forces as well as military infrastructure;
the Chief of staff of the armies is military adviser of the Gouvernement; it ensures the command of the forces engaged in an operation.

In practice, although the Constitution specifies that led government the “and determines the policy of the nation” and “has the armed force”, the President of the Republic is the ultimate decision maker, the National defense being, with the foreign affairs, his reserved domain.

Since the decision, in 1997, to suspend the National service, the personnel of the Armed forces is made up only of soldiers and civilians of career, under contract or volunteers. A Day of call of preparation with defense (JAPD), makes it possible to count the whole of the young French, to sensitize them with the questions of defense and to reinforce the “bond Army-Nation”.

Territorial structures of civil defense and economic

The metropolitan territory is divided into 7 zones of defense (ZD):

Northern: chief town Lille
Is: chief town Metz
: chief town Lyon
: chief town Marseilles
: chief town Bordeaux
: chief town Rennes
Ile-de-France: chief town Paris

DOM-TOM form four zones of defense (Antille-Guyana, Reunion, Polynésie, New Caledonia).

The Prefect of department of the chief town of the ZD:

holds the powers to control of the actions of civil defense and economic;
animates and coordinates the preparation and the implementation of not-soldiers measurements (plane of protection and safety, use of the resources, centralization of the information);
ensures the coherence of these plans of protection with the military plans.

It is assisted by:

by the general inspector of finances for all the economic questions of defense;
by the general officer ordering the military district of defense (CMD), in charge of the operational defense of the territory (DOWRY).

The “regional prefect” ensures the implementation of the economic resources, assisted by a “regional commission of economic defense”.

The “prefect of department” is responsible for the setting works of measurements of defense not-soldier

Defense policy

General objectives

To protect the fundamental interests from the country : These interests are distributed:

in interests of power which are related to the international responsibilities for France as a permanent member of the Safety advice of the United Nations and which “country equipped with the Nuclear weapon”;
in strategic interests which consist mainly with the maintenance of the peace of Europe and in the zones which borders it, in particular around the Mediterranean, like the safeguarding of the conditions of the activity and the economic exchanges;
in vital interests : the maintenance of the integrity of the national territory and its approaches aéromaritimes, the free exercise of its sovereignty and the protection of its population and her nationals abroad.

To contribute to international stability : member of the international community, France intends to make prevail the values of the democracy, as well as solidarity between the States, the variations of prosperity causing insecurity. It in addition has particular responsibilities for old colonial power in particular in Africa where it seeks to privilege the emergence of regional solutions; the international responsibilities for France imply its participation in operations in favor of peace and the signature of agreements of defense in particular in Africa and in the Middle East;

To work within a European framework : France acts for the emergence of strong Europe while preserving the transatlantic bond;

to fall under a global design of defense : this globality became all the more necessary with the proliferation of the Armes of massive destruction (nuclear, radiological, bacteriological and chemical), the rise of the international Terrorisme, the development of the traffics (Drogue S, weapons, human beings, counterfeit…) and of the cybercriminality.

Strategic functions

Nuclear deterrence : The Dissuasion aims to guarantee the protection of the " interests vitaux" France. Its object is:

to prevent a questioning of survival of the France by a hostile major power;
to face the Threat S which could make weigh of the regional powers equipped with weapons of massive destruction;

by the threat of a nuclear striking of response (striking as a second).

dissuasion thus rests on the Perception by a potential adversary of the unacceptable Risque S which an aggression against France or its interests would make him take. The nuclear doctrines remain that of not-employment. The French nuclear capacity consists of:

* ballistic missiles which equip aerodynamic SNLE

* missiles (ASMP) for the airborne component to which belongbelong of the planes of the Air force and of the naval Aéronautique.

Protection : it is a question of ensuring the Sécurité Territoire, the safeguard of the population, and of guaranteeing the operation of the Institutions as well as socio-economic activities. This function results in particular in:

the implementation of measures of Information system security , in particular on the economic activities of defense distributed on the Territory,
the permanent action of safety of the forces of gendarmerie (monitoring, neutralization…),
the permanent posture of maritime Safeguard and the permanent posture of air safeguard (assistance with the aircraft, detection and intervention…).
reinforcement by the armed forces of the devices set up by the civil authorities, in the event of exceptional circumstances (natural disasters or industrial…).

Prevention: The prevention consists in anticipating the emergence of crises in order to maintain them on a level low possible and to prevent the use of the force. It rests on:

the diplomatic action for a Pacific regulation of the conflicts;
a policy of Control of the armaments;
of means of the human and technical information (interception of telecommunications and satellites of observation)
of the devices of military cooperation to help the countries with which we have agreements to obtain autonomous means of resolution of the conflicts
of the forces prépositionnées outside the borders allowing to intervene as soon as possible.

Projection of forces and power : If the preventive actions could not prevent the release of a crisis, it can be necessary to intervene. Engagement can vary simple presence, with the show of force with actions of retortions with drawn modern weapons at long distance.

France obtains projectable rapid deployment forces to several thousands of kilometers within a short time, as well as means to support them in the duration.

Internal bonds

See too

External bonds

site of the Ministry for Defense (France)|ministry for Defense
code of defense (left legislative)
Commission of the national defense and the armed forces of the National Assembly
defense policies: why defend our interests by an armed force? by Tiphaine Vacqué.
the French High committee for civil defense

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