The active interception of Iranian Shahed drones in the Middle East has led to a critical reduction in the stock of air-to-air missiles for French Rafale fighters. The emergence of a "missile famine" and the search for a way out of the crisis was reported by the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, reports La Tribune.
The use of high-cost weapons against cheap drones turned out to be economically inefficient and depleted the country's strategic reserves.
The situation caused an internal conflict between the General Staff, the Armaments Directorate and the missile manufacturer, MBDA. The military leadership accuses the specialized department of slow search for affordable analogues, while officials fear low-quality products from new suppliers.
At the same time, the manufacturer MBDA refuses to increase the production of weapons without signed contracts and financial guarantees. The urgent meeting, chaired by Lecornu, is expected to find long-term solutions to strengthen the army and resolve the huge price difference between missiles and targets.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, since conflicts in the Middle East are predominantly aerial in nature, the region needs a large number of air defense systems. President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has already provided the United States with its own expertise and means to intercept drones.
Ukraine has received 11 requests from countries bordering Iran, as well as from the United States and Europe, for assistance in shooting down Iranian drones.
Who we are: About us, Contacts. How we write news and our principles: Editorial code. We did our best. If you found this valuable – please support us.
To request a correction, please send an email.