“Will we be dependent on Germany for our export capacity? Never,” thundered Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu in response to a question from RN MP Nicolas Meizonnet during a hearing in the National Assembly on September 26 on arms exports and dual-use goods exports from France. But despite the Federal Armed Forces Minister’s Gaullist undertones, Berlin can strictly reject the export of a weapon system with German-made components and/or equipment to a blacklisted country.
This is currently particularly true for Saudi Arabia. For more than three years, Berlin has been angering London, which can no longer export the Typhoon – a joint fighter aircraft program between Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain – to the kingdom. Wahhabi. That is why Riyadh today demands the principle of “German freedom” from all arms manufacturers who supply it with weapon systems. In general, global industrial interdependence means that the defense industry is partially dependent on its foreign suppliers.
Several rejections from Berlin
On the other hand, as Sébastien Lecornu emphasizes, the Bundestag cannot prevent the issuance of arms export licenses. “The suggestion that the Bundestag could prevent export permits for French weapons does not exist. We can repeat it again and again. (…) I’ll say it again: “No, there are no plans where Germany has a veto right over our arms exports,” explained the Federal Armed Forces Minister.
However, Berlin has spoken out against the export of French weapons systems several times in the past. This was the case with the Arquus armored vehicles, including VAB and Aravis in the early 2010s, with the SME Nicolas Industrie, which was forced to launch a social plan and change its economic model, or even with the Meteor missile from MBDA. “A simple joint blocked” deal, explained Arquus CEO Emmanuel Levacher in February 2019. Furthermore, Germany’s desire to transfer national arms export control systems to the European level reveals a desire to oppose the exports of its main European competitors and, above all, France.
Hypothesis of a stop of the SCAF and MGCS projects
With regard to cooperation programs between France and Germany, both countries signed an agreement on arms export controls at the beginning of 2019, the core of which is the “de minimis” principle. This agreement, which updates the Debré-Schmidt agreements signed in December 1971 and February 1972, essentially concerns the Air Combat System of the Future (SCAF) and more specifically the Weapon System Project of the Future (Next Generation Weapon System). – NGWS) as well as the tank of the future (Main Ground Combat System) and the MALE drone Eurodrone.
Therefore, Germany cannot oppose the export of these weapon systems if the proportion of products manufactured by German manufacturers does not exceed the 20% threshold (excluding maintenance activities, spare parts, training and repairs). In this case, Berlin must immediately issue transfer or export permits, except in exceptional cases when such transfer or export harms its immediate interests or national security. And vice versa.
Sébastien Lecornu was clear on the question of the export of the SCAF and the MGCS: “If there were failures (from Germany, editor’s note) due to various and varied annoyances, it would mean the end of the projects.” It exists “There is no question of ‘thinking that we are acting against the SCAF or the MGCS by betraying our sovereignty.’ That is not true,” he insisted. However, the SCAF program will not become operational until 2040… For the Court of Auditors, in a report published in January 2023, it will be necessary to “ensure the proper functioning” of the Franco-German agreement in the long term.
Finally, the Minister of the Armed Forces argues that, contrary to the parties that criticize the Franco-German axis in terms of cooperation, the government is “trying something” to “regain market share” with the introduction of the SCAF and the MGCS. And to come to the conclusion: “There is no person more Gaullist than me.” I am certainly the least European member of the government. It is known and I accept it.”
