Politique Internationale — How does DGA work with the French Navy? Is it a special partner, given the specific nature of certain maritime issues in the defense context?
Emmanuel Chiva — The DGA’s role is the same for all armed forces: to equip and prepare for the future. Of course, each one has its own specific characteristics. We can’t talk about the French Navy without thinking about the naval and air components of our deterrent system. These specific features make the navy a technical army with particularly complex platforms, such as nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, nuclear attack submarines and the aircraft carrier and its future successor, the new-generation aircraft carrier (PANG).
Our job is to provide a global capability response that serves the interests of a coherent army model. Current conflicts demonstrate the multi-domain nature of the conflicts that lie ahead. The war in Ukraine, for example, is as much land-based as it is naval, and even underwater. This is why the DGA does not consider its action with each of our forces in isolation. Added to this is the complexity brought about by the hybridization of threats through cyberspace, and the use of disinformation as a weapon of war and destabilization.
P. I. — Has integrating naval defense, and in particular its capability requirements, into a comprehensive vision always been an obvious choice?
E. C. — Deterrence is naturally the major structuring factor in our response to the navy’s needs. In fact, deterrence accounts for 30% of the DGA’s workload. However, let’s not forget the geopolitical realities that require us to have a powerful navy: France has the second largest exclusive economic zone in the world. In addition to its overseas territories, France has strategic interests to defend around the globe, especially in the Pacific. This surveillance mission is one of the priorities driving the construction of a French Navy that is appropriately equipped to respond to growing threats and risks.
Faced with us on the world stage, our potential adversaries have redoubled their efforts: I’m thinking in particular of the Chinese navy, which has been building up strength at an accelerated rate for several decades now. This rise in power, which we can see here and there, forces us to move forward, to stay one step ahead in many technological segments.
P. I. — What are the main technological challenges currently facing the navy?
E. C. — The French Navy has needs on all time scales, with long- term programs and short-term projects. In the long term, maintaining the credibility of our deterrent is an ongoing concern. It is because we have this credible deterrent that our strategic autonomy is guaranteed, as it draws on a large part of our Defense Technological and Industrial Base (DTIB). The third-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SNLE 3G), the new nuclear attack submarines (SNA) and the PANG are extremely complex programs that we are currently launching. The PANG will include new- generation combat aircraft and new types of missiles for the airborne component. It’s also a program that will help ensure the long-term future of nuclear propulsion.
At the same time, we are responding to new needs, such as seabed management, which was the subject of a strategy presented two years ago. We’re aiming to invest in the seabed, in particular the deep seabed at depths of over 6,000 meters, where others are also present, to protect our resources and our major strategic infrastructures (submarine cables).
The conflict in Ukraine has also demonstrated the value of naval drones, with surface drones and UCUVs (unmanned combat underwater drones) complementing traditional submarine capabilities. These resources are important not only for the protection of our areas of interest, but also for our intervention capabilities. In the field of mine warfare, France is one of the few nations to have a program as sophisticated as the SLAM-F program (the French Mine Countermeasures System), which uses surface drones carried by naval vessels, capable of carrying out mine clearance operations. The cyber threat is also an immediate challenge: our aim is to make all ships resistant to the cyber threat “by design”.
As you can see, the challenge is to find the balance and agility needed to manage both major long-term projects and short-term ones, with the need to integrate technologies we don’t yet know into these platforms. For example, the PANG is scheduled to set sail around 2036. This means that we can’t afford to run projects the way we did twenty years ago. The V-cycle is over! Today, we’re developing more incremental agile approaches. Even when we build the PANG, the combat system is not designed from the outset; the architecture is initiated, but we know that new technologies will be added.
P. I. — How do you factor innovation into your relationship with the French Navy?
E. C. — The accelerating pace of innovation and the complexity of the Navy’s resources call for a highly agile approach to integrating innovation. The Navy is particularly active in this area, working with the Defense Innovation Agency (AID). One of our shared objectives is to shorten program cycles. In this respect, I welcome the Perseus initiative supported by the French Navy, which aims to enable manufacturers to carry out equipment trials in real-life conditions. The pioneering spirit of our sailors enables the DGA and AID to work with them on ambitious short, medium and long-term projects. Experimental 3D printing systems are currently on board French Navy vessels. On board another ship, we are testing a cold atom quantum gravimeter demonstrator called Girafe.
P. I. — Quantum technology: to what extent is it revolutionizing defense, and naval defense in particular?
E. C. — Quantum technology is a disruptive innovation, and if we want to maintain our position as a technological powerhouse, we need to be on the ball. For defense purposes, quantum technology is of interest in four areas: sensors, telecommunications, post- quantum cryptography and quantum computing. As far as sensors are concerned, we’re thinking of the atomic clock, which guarantees perfect accuracy over very long time horizons. Another example is the cold atom quantum gravimeter, which enables ultra-precise positioning without the need for satellite positioning.
As far as computers are concerned, a single element is enough to take the measure of the revolution under way: certain calculations could be carried out in a few seconds, whereas today they would take thousands of years. Similarly, in cryptography, quantum technology could make encrypted information decryptable. In the more upstream field of telecommunications, quantum technology guarantees the security of exchanges, notably by making jamming impossible. Finally, in partnership with France 2030, the DGA is supporting five companies via the Proqcima program, which aims to develop a French quantum computer.
P. I. — President Macron referred to the current environment as a “war economy”. The characteristics of this type of economy include the need to increase production rates and reduce equipment delivery times. What progress has been made in this area?
E. C. — Indeed, the aim of the wartime economy is to equip ourselves with the capacity to meet the needs of the armed forces in the event of high-intensity engagements, by strengthening the responsiveness, resilience and autonomy of our industrial base. In concrete terms, we need to be able to produce more and faster, while consolidating our sovereignty.
The wartime economy projects involve significant production acceleration, including the doubling of the production rates for several decisive pieces of equipment, such as the Caesar cannon or the Mistral missile; the launch of the relocation of several productions such as powder production; and also support for the creation of new sectors destined to become strategic, in particular 3D printing for military uses. The DGA has also helped to identify and resolve around a hundred bottlenecks in subcontracting chains, and to create the Defense Industrial Reserve.
Efforts are now continuing, with a particular focus on simplification. If we are to achieve the “deadline-driven approach” called for by the French President in his January 2024 address to the armed forces, we need to develop our methods and work constructively with our manufacturers. Simplification is everyone’s business, and requires the efforts of both the state and industry. This simplification also goes hand in hand with a change of culture that should enable us to dare to take more risks and opt for frank choices when necessary, whether this involves accelerating, redirecting or calling projects into question.
P. I. — In terms of human resources, is the DGA adequately staffed?
E. C. — The need to strengthen our workforce is a constant. By way of illustration, we hire between 700 and 1,000 engineers and technicians every year, for a total workforce of some 10,500 people, in all the DGA’s areas of activity, i.e. all the technological fields. Right now, there’s a lot of talk about artificial intelligence (AI), cyber and digital in all its forms, when it comes to jobs in short supply. But shortage profiles also include electricians, welders, boilermakers, mechanics, model-makers...
The battle for talent is particularly keenly felt in the industrial sector, and this means that we have to work hard to both recruit and retain our staff. We have to get used to seeing people leave us, but possibly come back a little later, because we have solid assets: our industry is technological, in tune with exciting challenges, at the service of the country and the nation, at a time when the new generation’s quest for meaning has never been so strong.
Specifically, we want to raise the profile of the DGA in academic circles. In schools in particular, students need to be able to better understand our professions and measure their added value. It’s also an opportunity for us to attract promising profiles upstream. We’re also considering the idea of setting up courses that match our needs. This idea of creating training courses on a sufficiently large scale is gaining ground. As you can see, the DGA is recruiting!