16.04.2026
In the Media: In the Media: What France’s “forward deterrence” means for European security
Professor Xavier Landes published a new article in Satori, in Latvian, on the recent evolution of French nuclear doctrine: the "forward deterrence" (dissuasion avancée).
In this piece, he is presenting the continuities and changes of France's posture as well as some implications for the security of the Baltic/Nordic region. According to him, the deterrence effect of France placing Rafale airplanes equipped with atomic bombs in the region might be limited. It depends on how committed to regional security the French president, especially in the future, will appear to adversaries. More importantly, nuclear weapons seem ill-tailored for deterring hybrid warfare and other non-kinetic actions.