French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu said this in an interview with Le Parisien, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"At this stage of the war, we must be tough in our military aid to Ukraine. The logic of transferring equipment from army reserves is coming to an end. Now the solution is to connect the French defense industry directly with the Ukrainian army," Lecornu said.
As the next steps, he named the supply of 40 Scalp missiles to Ukraine, as previously announced by French President Emmanuel Macron. According to the minister, they will be delivered to Ukraine in the first half of this year.
Read also: Ukraine to deepen defense cooperation with France's GICAN
The "artillery coalition" is being launched on the basis of the Caesar cannon, manufactured by Nexter. In order to produce 78 such guns for Ukraine, France plans to involve other countries.
"Ukraine itself is ready to contribute to the financing: it has just purchased six Caesars using its own funds to kick-start the initiative. The same system should work for ammunition," Lecornu said.
He noted that Nexter had used to spend 30 months on the production of a Caesar gun, but now it takes only 15.
"The workers mobilized a lot and the company was able to create reserves. The model is changing," Lecornu said, commenting on whether it is possible to produce such a number of guns this year.
According to him, France has significantly reduced the production time for all types of weapons. In particular, the Thales radar, which is used to protect the Ukrainian sky, can now be delivered in just six months instead of 18. As for the 155mm projectiles required by Ukraine, their monthly production will grow from 2,000 to 3,000 from the end of January.
Lekornyu noted that the problem with ammunition for Ukraine arose due to the fact that the world reserves of gunpowder are now limited, as "all countries are increasing their capacity."
"This makes the transfer of the gunpowder industry to France a priority," he added.
Commenting on the situation on the front lines, the minister noted that Russia is now betting that time is on its side.
"But the political system and morale in Ukraine have not exhausted themselves. As well as our determination and the determination of our allies. Moscow, as well as Pyongyang and Tehran, are watching us, our ability to demonstrate endurance and reliability," Lecornu said.
As was reported earlier, France announced that it would produce an additional 78 Caesar howitzers for Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to transfer about 40 long-range SCALP missiles and several hundred bombs to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Photo: General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
