French Defense: “Accelerating Defense Production is Less a Matter of Resources than of Method”
As France seeks to rebuild the industrial foundations of its defense apparatus, one question looms large: how can the nation accelerate production without compromising innovation, quality, or sovereignty? In this analysis published in Les Echos, Louis Catala, Partner and Head of Aerospace & Defense at EFESO Management Consultants, argues that the answer lies less in financial firepower than in the ability to rethink industrial methods, mobilize suppliers, and draw inspiration from sectors as diverse as luxury and automotive manufacturing.
Could the luxury or automotive industries hold the keys to restoring France’s military industrial power?
This is one of the avenues explored by Louis Catala, Partner and Head of Aerospace & Defense at EFESO Management Consultants.
The lessons learned from the war in Ukraine have been sobering. The conflict exposed the speed at which ammunition is consumed, the fragility of stockpiles, and the need to rethink long‑term inventory management. It also reminded us of an often‑overlooked truth: accelerating defense production cannot be decreed. It requires a profound industrial transformation that goes far beyond investment alone.
Today, four needs shape this equation. First, innovation, which must remain upstream of the industrial cycle—sacrificing design in the name of urgency would be a strategic mistake. Second, skills: accelerating production requires trained and available human resources. Third, budget—essential, but not sufficient. And finally, the supplier ecosystem, which is the true nerve center of industrial performance.
The decisive question of the supply chain
The central theme of the President’s speech is speed. Yet doubling production rates does not necessarily mean doubling resources. The first lever is organizational. France’s defense industry is still largely structured around a “one‑shift” culture.
Moving to two or even three shifts would significantly increase output, but immediately raises issues related to workforce availability, skills, and social acceptability.
The supply chain question is even more critical. Doubling production capacity requires components to be available upstream, in both quantity and cadence. The supplier base is currently predominantly French and European—an advantage in terms of sovereignty.
But an industrial player’s performance is directly tied to that of its suppliers. Dependencies on single‑source suppliers—illustrated in the past by reliance on Russian titanium—represent major vulnerabilities when scaling up production.
A clear roadmap
A credible acceleration relies on a clear roadmap: co‑building industrial trajectories with suppliers by involving them early in the design cycle; staying ahead on innovation and shortening production cycles; precisely identifying CAPEX needs; reorganizing production at the operational level; and carefully arbitrating between internalization and outsourcing, knowing that the more the latter is used, the longer lead times become.
In this context, the role of the State is pivotal. In France, the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) oversees military procurement and plays a key role in streamlining competencies, suppliers, innovation, and financing. The overall effectiveness of French defense technologies speaks to this.
Yet the challenges remain considerable. Recent conflicts show that reliance on conventional weapons is reaching its limits, while military technologies have evolved dramatically in just a decade. The most sensitive link remains the supplier base: a robust ecosystem with exceptional craftsmanship, but one that will need to be expanded and strengthened if production rates are to be sustainably multiplied.
Finally, opening up to adjacent industries offers promising opportunities. The automotive sector, for example, shares many technological building blocks with drone manufacturing and has a strong culture of high‑volume production. The analogy with the luxury industry is equally instructive: by structuring and tightly aligning their supplier ecosystems, these players have managed to scale up without compromising quality.
Accelerating defense production is therefore less a matter of resources than of method. The credibility of this ambition will ultimately depend on the ability to orchestrate the entire industrial ecosystem.