Mirage 2000D Upgrade, Tanker Fall In French Cuts

France is facing the prospect of real capability gaps as the country adjusts its defense spending to try to bring down its mounting budget deficit.

As part of its first concrete action, the government announced Sept. 29 it plans to curtail defense outlays by €1.3 billion (U.S. $1.77 billion) over three years.

The move, expected for months, is nonetheless significant because it reverses several years of increasing defense spending, even if only modestly at times.

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