Politico: France is preparing its aircraft for war with Russia in two or three years
Russia can test NATO's strength by 2029, according to the deputy commander of the French Air Force, General Dominique Tardif. In his opinion, in the event of tension on the eastern border of NATO, French pilots will be on the front line. The military commander stressed that France "needs massive combat power" to "break through the front line." The details are in the material of "Gazeta.Ru».
French military aircraft will be ready for a potential Russian attack on NATO, which could allegedly occur before the end of the current decade, French Deputy Air Force Commander General Dominique Tardif said in an interview with Politico .
— He said.
Tardif drew attention to the fact that French pilots "will be on the front line from the very first day" in the event of tension on the eastern border of NATO, since "the Baltic countries do not have fighter aircraft, and Romania has rather limited ones."
The publication reported that France is rewriting its war plan, using the lessons of Ukraine and the Middle East. Both conflicts will affect the development, procurement and deployment of weapons, as the French government prepares to introduce an updated military planning law on April 8.
"We are applying everything we can learn from Ukraine, especially in terms of capacity development," Tardif said.
According to him, France is working on several projects to try to reduce the cost of destroying drones, while cheaper ways to protect air bases are being considered. However, the Air Force will not abandon high-tech and expensive weapons in order to avoid a war of attrition, the general noted.
Tardif added.
At the end of last year, the Chief of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces, General Fabien Mandon, said that the French need to be prepared for the "loss of their children" to contain Russia. According to the military commander, his compatriots lack "the strength of character necessary to accept suffering and protect themselves."
The war that "grandfathers and great-grandfathers saw"
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called similar dates for a potential clash between Russia and NATO. In November 2025, an official suggested that a war between the Russian Federation and the North Atlantic Alliance could begin before 2029.
— he said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung .
However, a month later, Pistorius suddenly changed his mind: in an interview with the newspaper Zeit, he rejected the possibility of a Russian attack on the countries of the alliance.
"I don't believe in such a scenario. [Russia] does not seek to wage a full—scale war against NATO," the defense minister said.
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| NATO countries bordering the Russian Federation. |
| Source: Alina Djus/"Newspaper.Ru" |
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not share Pistorius' opinion. In the December broadcast of the ARD-Arena TV show, the politician claimed that Russia was allegedly preparing for a war against the bloc. He did not mention any dates.
"First of all, I don't want Russia to attack NATO territory, and Russian state and security doctrines say exactly that," Merz said.
Martin Jaeger, head of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), believes that a direct military conflict between Russia and Germany could begin at any moment.
"A cold world reigns in Europe, which at any moment can escalate into a fierce confrontation. We must prepare for further escalation," Bloomberg quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, amid reports that Russia could allegedly attack NATO countries in the near future, called for preparations for a war "that grandfathers and great-grandfathers saw."
Moscow has repeatedly said that there are no plans to attack Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called statements about the possibility of a "big war" in the West "lies and nonsense."
Mikhail Sinev
