What made the mysterious white traces in sky over south-west France? One person on Twitter asked if it was ‘meteorological modern art’ or whether there was an ‘extra-terrestrial explanation’
Massive military exercise to take place on beaches in south of France 7,000 soldiers to train based around a hypothetical invasion scenario
World War One anti-tank gun stored in attic in France to be kept The German blunderbuss was handed in during last year’s government sponsored weapons amnesty with arms given expected to be destroyed Elections, pension reform, defence: French politics in 2023 France’s July 14 military parade: theme and schedule to watch on TV ‘France’s July 14 military parade is no Russia or North Korea’
French military jets brush in mid-air ‘near-miss’ in practice session The Rafale planes later landed without incident but a piece of one aircraft fell and damaged the roof of a home in a nearby village in the south-west
Shoeless pilot in stolen plane intercepted by French army jet A fighter jet and army helicopter intervened over Toulon after the pilot, who was flying in socks, failed to respond to radio calls and flew through several no-fly zones
Macron announces plan to help citizens flee besieged Ukrainian city Around 100,000 people are said to trapped in Mariupol, which has faced heavy bombardment by Russian forces
France ups defence and deploys three of its four nuclear submarines It is the first time it has had three such vessels at sea at once since the end of the 1980s. It comes as the military successfully test an upgraded nuclear cruise missile
Cadre Noir de Saumur: Discover France’s unique style of horse riding Recognised by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage, this technique of riding requires intensive training both for the rider and horse
French air force confirms July 14 red smoke error A French Alphajet that displayed a red plume of smoke instead of blue as part of the traditional July 14 Fête Nationale flypast over Paris did so in error, the French air force has confirmed.
Day and night air combat exercises across parts of south west France The Armée de l’air is acting out an imagined conflict between ‘Greyland’ and ‘Redland’. They will be flying between Landes and the Massif Central until October 15
French army ordered to stop killing wild Paris rabbits The rabbits live on the Esplanade des Invalides, directly in front of the museum of French military history
Fête Nationale military parade to go ahead in Paris if Covid allows Last year’s smaller event was the first time that there had not been a military parade on the Champs-Élysées on July 14 since the end of World War Two
Anzac Day: France to honour soldiers of Australia and New Zealand For the second year running, a smaller-than-usual ceremony will be held due to Covid-related restrictions Why you may hear military planes flying over your home in France today France carries out its first-ever military exercise in space Sci-fi writers help French army imagine wars of future
What will France's July 14 celebrations look like this year? Celebrations will still take place in France on 14 July this year, but with some differences due to the Covid-19 crisis. 'Flying soldier' steals July 14 parade show France to create new Space army command France celebrates July 14 with Paris military display Military Wives choir seeking to perform in Normandy Macron defends French army officer centenary ceremony
Did you know? Striped shirts and the French navy The blue and white striped top is the emblematic French article of clothing along with black berets.
Robot sniper injures with precision A French firm has invented a remote-controlled robot ‘soldier’, said to be the world’s first, which can accurately shoot to neutralise an enemy without killing them at up to 300m away.
Women pioneers in French submarines Four female naval officers have become the first to complete a mission on a French nuclear battle submarine after being barred from such work since the service was founded.
Make sense of... Service national Bringing back ‘national service’ is in the news again. Here we look at the history of this in France and what form the new version may take
Focus of Macron’s Australia state visit revealed The Elysée has confirmed that Macron's official visit is focusing on “strengthening the strategic partnership” between Australia and France, especially on defence and climate change, as well as food, art, and culture.
Military plane drops ‘bomb’ over Loiret, injuring two A military fighter jet has dropped a replica bomb on to the roof of a working factory during a flight in Loiret (Centre-Val de Loire), injuring two people.
Trump visit and Jupiter returns to human life Editorialistes (opinion writers) hold a major role in the French press. Here, in a new regular column French journalist Paul de Villepin examines recent ‘hot topics’ which have featured in the columns of the country’s media
Voluntary military service scheme sees 70% land jobs Centres offering young recruits a two-year trial of voluntary military service (SMV) have been voted a success as many recruits have found work.
Beautiful skies as jet pilots dogfight Spectacular view for south-west residents after fighters write all over the sky with contrails