Amid growing strategic tension marked by the resurgence of nuclear issues, the ambassadors from the NATO Allies, and NATO Deputy Secretary General, Radmila Shekerinska, visited the Istres Air Force Base in southern France, one of the key sites for French nuclear deterrence. The meeting provided participants with an opportunity to exchange views on current strategic issues and deepen their understanding of the role of France’s nuclear forces within NATO’s collective security architecture, particularly in relation to its European members. In this regard, the delegations attended briefings by Commanding Officers from the Strategic Air Forces (FAS), the Strategic Oceanic Force (FOST) and the Nuclear Naval Aviation Force (FANU). The different stages of the visit illustrated the credibility of France’s effective, independent and sovereign deterrent capability, and the airborne component based in Istres. 

The visit also served to reaffirm nuclear deterrence as a cornerstone of NATO’s security while underscoring the unique aspects of France’s nuclear strategy. It ensures compatibility between the independence of France’s deterrent capability – covering design, production and Presidential authority over its use to protect the nation’s vital interests – and its commitments to Europe and NATO. The President of the Republic has once again emphasised the European dimension of France’s nuclear deterrence, which extends beyond the EU framework alone. Furthermore, French deterrence complements NATO’s own capabilities. Within the Alliance, France plays a distinct role as a nuclear-weapon state, contributing to overall deterrence and to shaping NATO’s nuclear policy. It does not, however, participate in NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group. Like the United Kingdom, it represents an independent decision-making centre within the Alliance, adding complexity to the strategic calculations of potential adversaries.