The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated how quickly ammunition is consumed in high-intensity wars, with Paris allocating billions of euros to increase existing stockpiles and replace anti-aircraft missiles fired by the French Air Force in the Gulf to defend against Iranian drone attacks. "The urgent need, of course, is ammunition," French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu recently told lawmakers, in the context of broader European fears of a potential conflict with Russia by the end of this decade. The French government will present an updated military planning law on April 8, which allocates 8.5 billion euros for drones and missiles by 2030. This is a multi-year financial framework setting targets for arms procurement and development. "This effort is reflected in increased orders and deliveries, as well as adapting industrial infrastructure through co-financing priority production capacities," states the 64-page draft. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, most European countries have been rapidly developing their defense capabilities, investing billions of euros in armaments. This trend has accelerated further following Donald Trump's re-election as U.S. president, due to fears that Washington might either leave NATO or, more broadly, cease guaranteeing Europe's security. The French military planning law envisions defense spending of 63.3 billion euros in 2027, 68.3 billion in 2028, 72.8 billion in 2029, and 76.3 billion in 2030. Once the law is adopted by parliament, these amounts will still need to be confirmed annually through specific budget laws, while capability targets must be translated into contracts via the arms procurement agency. Targets for drones and missiles are particularly significant. France aims to increase stocks of so-called loitering munitions, such as kamikaze drones, by 400 percent, Safran-produced AASM Hammer guided bombs by 240 percent, and MBDA-produced Aster and Mica missiles by 30 percent. Future contracts under this law come at a time when the French state and industry are accusing each other of lacking mass weapons production. Arms manufacturers accuse the government of not ordering enough, while the government wants companies to invest in production capacities before signing contracts. A French official previously told Politico that arms manufacturers need to be prepared for a significant surge in demand. Last week, MBDA CEO Eric Béranger told reporters that the company will increase production by 40 percent this year, including doubling Aster missile production. Beyond ammunition stockpiles, the draft shows that France does not plan to expand its armed forces: there are no planned additional purchases of Rafale fighter jets or frigates, despite earlier promises by French President Emmanuel Macron and Lecornu. However, Paris is considering developing a new tank. The draft indicates that France will launch studies to assess what could succeed the current main battle tank, the Leclerc. This follows increasingly loud calls from lawmakers and industry to acknowledge that the French-German Main Ground Combat System tank project may be delayed, and that France's ground forces need an interim solution when Leclerc tanks are phased out by the late 2030s. "We must not let 2026 be missed," French lawmaker François Cormier-Bouligeon, a member of the National Assembly's defense committee, said this week. France also appears to have abandoned the Eurodrone project, a long-range reconnaissance drone developed jointly with Germany, Italy, and Spain, as the draft does not allocate funds for this significantly delayed European program. Although planning extends to 2030, parliamentary and industry officials expect Macron's successor to draft a new plan after the 2027 presidential election. However, there is broad consensus in France on the need to increase defense spending, with far-right leader and presidential election frontrunner Jordan Bardella saying last month that Paris should allocate 3.5 percent of GDP to military expenditure, in line with NATO targets.