Paris – France won €21.2 billion ($24.7 billion) of export orders for weapons in 2025, helped by India’s contract for 26 Rafale fighter jets and related armaments, the annual report of the armed forces ministry to parliament said.
That 2025 value fell slightly from foreign arms orders of €21.6 billion in the previous year.
“With €21.2 billion of orders, the 2025 order book crosses the €20 billion threshold for the second consecutive year, indicating the full support of the state as well as companies,” the introduction to the 144-page report said.
The Indian order for the Rafale came into effect in 2025, with aircraft accounting for some 40 pct of foreign orders, the report said. The naval sector accounted for some 19 pct, missiles 18 pct, and land weapons 12 pct. Radar and communication systems won two pct of orders.
French missile deals with client nations rose 15 pct in 2025 compared to 2024, the strongest growth of any category, the report said. European Union member states accounted for some 27 pct of orders, in line with the average annual 26 pct from 2022 to 2025, the report said.
Asia was the most buoyant market for French arms, accounting for some 43 pct of 2025 orders, up from 23 pct in 2024, while European nations outside the 27-strong European Union took some nine pct. The Middle East accounted for around six pct, the report said.
Denmark last year placed the first export order for the Franco-Italian SAMP/T new generation surface-to-air missile, which the report authors hailed as an “historic choice,” seen as opening up other opportunities. That ground-based air defense system is effectively pitched as a European alternative to the highly sought after U.S. Patriot missile. European contractors MBDA and Thales upgraded the SAMP/T NG with a “multi-layered” capability of medium-range Aster 30 and short-range Mica vertical launch missiles, and GF 300 radar.
The 2025 deals of less than €200 million rose to €7 billion, up €1 billion, the report said, pointing up the importance of service contracts, training, and small and medium enterprises.
The introduction to the ministerial report carried an official photo of the French armed forces minister, without giving the minister’s name – Catherine Vautrin – or that of her Greek counterpart – Nikos Dendias – who accompanied her. The caption said the French minister was on a visit to Greece, with the Greek navy’s Kimon frigate at the dockside.
French shipbuilder Naval Group built that frigate at its Lorient factory, western France, with the Greek navy christening it Kimon, the name of the admiral in ancient Greece who sailed in the Salamis naval battle, which sank the Persian warships.
Rafale orders in 2024 helped push the value of French arms exports above the €20 billion mark that year, with fighter deals signed with Indonesia and Serbia. An order from the Netherlands for attack submarines that year also helped lift the French order book.
The armed forces ministry posted the arms export report Aug. 12, 2026, on its website.
France and UK Rally Round Ukraine
News of arms deals moved above the fold Aug. 24, when the U.K. Prime Minister, the newly installed Andy Burnham, brought to Kyiv top secret blueprints of British components of the Anglo-French Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missile, to hand over to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Those classified blueprints allow Ukraine to build the European weapon, intended to increase capability to strike deep into Russia. London and Paris had shipped that long-range weapon to Kyiv, and those two allies showed trust in Ukraine to build the missile locally.
Burnham was supporting a “joint offer” made just a few days before by French President Emmanuel Macron, said Camille Grand, secretary general of the Association of Security and Defence, a European trade association based in Brussels.
That move to local production in Ukraine raised the question of “what can be built locally,” he said, as complex technology was involved. Ukraine is seeking to develop arms with allies, such as Fire Point, the Ukrainian company which developed the Flamingo cruise missile.
European companies could build industrial partnerships with Ukrainian firms, he said, while pointing out a British firm worked differently from a French company, which differed from a German firm, as European companies had distinct management styles.
An Aug. 25 editorial of French afternoon daily Le Monde called on European allies to increase support to Ukraine, pointing out the “inconsistency” of U.S. President Donald Trump, who had pledged in early July to grant Kyiv licences to build the Patriot, then withdrawing that offer at the end of the same month.
“If Europe wants to preserve peace on its continent, safeguard democratic values and ensure future prosperity, it has no choice but to continue supporting Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelenskiy,” Le Monde said in its leader. “They must even intensify their commitment to prevent Vladimir Putin from exploiting time to his advantage.”
European commitment was important as Moscow was testing European Nato members militarily, the Ukraine war was at the bottom of French public concerns, and “this crucial issue” would vanish in next year’s presidential election campaign, said the leader writer.
France and Ukraine Outline Arms Deals
Foreign sale was important in the French business model, as “export success reduces unit cost for the French,” said Paul Taylor, senior visiting fellow at the European Policy Centre, a Brussels-based think tank.
France planned to ship to Ukraine 100 Rafale fighters, and license local production of Scalp missiles and AASM bombs, Macron and Zelenskiy said in a July 14 joint statement. Kyiv also planned to order four SAMP/T NG systems, to be funded by the Ukraine Support Loan and other sources of financing.
“France and Ukraine agree to prioritize projects that enhance Ukraine’s combat aviation and air and anti-ballistic missile defense capabilities,” the French and Ukrainian leaders said.
That Ukraine support loan is the European Union €90 billion funding approved in April, to give financial support to Kyiv this year and next. Some €60 billion is earmarked for military aid and €30 billion for economic help.
“France and Ukraine concluded a roadmap planning for Kyiv’s acquisition of 16 Rafale,” Dassault Aviation said in a July 22 statement with its first-half financial results. Dassault builds the Rafale fighter.
Those 16 Rafale were the first batch of the 100-strong Rafale fleet Kyiv planned “for acquisition,” the Elysée joint statement said. An initial four Rafale will go to Ukraine once Ukrainian pilots and mechanics were trained, with training starting this year.
“This immediate training will enable the deployment of this first capability in Ukraine as soon as possible,” the joint statement said.
Those Rafale will follow the French-built Mirage 2000-5 fighters Paris said in 2024 it was sending to Ukraine. Ukraine signed June 30 a contract for 16 Gripen E in a deal worth $2.54 billion, with the Swedish aircraft builder Saab expecting to deliver the fighters in 2029-2030.
The French AASM bombs, laser-guided anti-drone rockets, Mica and Meteor missiles will be delivered to Ukraine in line with “operational deployment of the aircraft,” the statement said. Bilateral technical teams will decide the armaments to be shipped with each Rafale.
France will authorize AASM bombs and Scalp missiles to be built in Ukraine before the end of the year, allowing assembly to start “as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Ukraine will order radars including five GM 400, one GF 300, and one Kronos, with the procurement covered by the support loan, the statement said. The five GM 400 radars will be delivered before the end of 2027.
The pressing need of the Ukrainian forces could be seen with France committing to deliver the SAMP/T NG system “as soon as possible,” with Paris sending two anti-missile systems to Ukraine as a stop gap while the new systems were built. Kyiv would return those two systems once the new SAMP/T NG systems were delivered.
The deployment of the new SAMP/T NG will be progressive, depending on delivery and qualification of modules starting in 2027, the statement said. France and Italy will speed up delivery of an “agreed number” of Aster 30 missiles by October 2026.
Paris and Rome will also authorize licensed local production of the Aster 30 before the end of this year, with production to start – again – as soon as possible.
Paris also supports Kyiv’s Freya project, namely development of a low-cost missile to intercept incoming missiles. This was through “facilitating” industrial cooperation with French companies, and support from the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) procurement office, the statement said.
Safran, a French company, builds the AASM powered smart bomb, while MBDA, a European company, builds Mica, Meteor, Scalp and its U.K. equivalent, Storm Shadow.
Greeks Bearing Orders
France is more committed to Greece than any other European country, said Taylor of the European Policy Centre. There is French positioning in the Eastern Mediterranean, with a strategic alliance with Greece, supporting Cyprus and Lebanon, while containing Turkey.
Greece is a key client nation for French first-rank warships and potential further fighter deals.
Athens took up an option to order a fourth French-built Frigate for Defense and Intervention (FDI) warship for the Hellenic Navy, shipbuilder Naval Group said Nov. 17, 2025.
That option was part of Athens’ 2022 order for three FDI vessels, in a deal reported to be worth some €3 billion.
Athens’ order for frigates built in Lorient, western France, meant work for Greek companies.
“With this fourth FDI HN, Naval Group has committed to further expanding the integration of Greek companies into its international industrial strategy, reaching 25 pct the value of FDI HN4 in local content,” the French shipbuilder said in its Nov. 17 statement.
Paris has sought to persuade Athens to sell around 10 of the Greek air force Mirage 2000-5 fighters to Ukraine, and replace those with the Rafale, business daily Les Echos reported April 24. The Rafale was modern but was more expensive to fly than the Mirage, and there was Greek concern over a fighter gap while waiting for Rafale delivery, the media report said.
Greece flies a 24-strong Rafale fleet, operates Mirage 2000-5, and also the F-16.
MBDA opened a permanent Athens office in 2023. Signing that office lease followed two Greek contracts won in 2022, one for weapons for a six-strong batch of Rafale for the air force, and weapons for the FDI fleet for the navy. Those MBDA deals followed a first 2021 contract with Athens, supplying weapons for 18 Rafale ordered for the Greek air force.
Tension has risen around the east Mediterranean, with Greek authorities advising commercial shipping bearing Greek flags to increase security measures, Reuters reported July 22. The shipping ministry advisory came after increased attacks by Ukraine and Russia on civilian ships and facilities in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, the agency reported.
The Greek air force sent up Rafale and F-16 fighters Aug. 18, in response to an alleged Turkish breach of Greek air space over the Aegean sea, with the Turkish air force flying F-16s, a CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft, and drones, specialist website Avions Legendaires reported Aug. 20.
Politics Behind Export Deals
The ministerial report pointed up the perceived importance of arms exports.
“Exports effectively contribute to the building of partnerships and alliances, responding to industrial challenges and have an impact on our operational cooperation,” the report said.
French political support was critical to securing deals.
“The strong commitment of the public authorities constitutes, in the eyes of the client nations, a mark of quality and credibility of the French offer,” the report said.
The report seeks to promote the importance of weapons, pointing out the arms industry employs 240,000 workers directly and indirectly, which the authors point out is the same number as the French car sector.
There is a breakdown of jobs by region, showing the density of employment, the importance of weapons manufacturers and the kit – fighter, missiles, artillery, and tanks – providing employment in the region.
Other big arms deals sealed last year included Indonesia’s order for two Scorpene Evolved attack submarines, orders from Slovenia and Croatia for Caesar artillery, and Scorpion armored vehicles for Belgium and Luxembourg.
France hit the highest value of annual export orders in 2022 with €26.9 billion of deals, with the United Arab Emirates signing for 80 Rafale and related weapons.