Defence research activity

Technology has a decisive role to play in the commitment of our forces because the technological level of our equipment is a factor of superiority and security with respect to our adversaries, but is also a measure of credibility in comparison with our allied partners.

Considering this decisive position and the maturation time of several years, the mastery of the technologies needed for building future systems is a major challenge for the French Ministry of Defence.

To design a consistent, effective defence system capable of meeting today’s threats and those of tomorrow, the DGA has to make sure the industry has high-performance, competitive systems it can propose and build when the moment comes. This is precisely one of the functions of upstream studies, which are the Research and Technology (R&T) work the DGA entrusts to manufacturers and research organisations.

Advanced defence research studies are mainly for preparing future programmes, but a part of our effort concerns applied research aimed at innovating and improving technologies.

The following are the pertinent advanced defence research study objectives set by the 2003-2008 military programme law:

1. Increase the volume of work on scientific and technological innovation. The purpose is to keep a quarter of the amount for advanced defence research studies devoted to the long term, as this amount is earmarked for an increase in the next military programme law.
2. Continue mutually beneficial research, both on the national level and in international co-operation.
3. Extend European co-operation on defence research and preparing the future.
4. Make greater use of technological demonstrators.

More information about DGA prospect thinking (only available in French)

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