Louise Sallé, edited by Solène Leroux 06:33, May 17, 2022

The Ministry of the Armed Forces has just published its "Climate and Defense" strategy, in order to integrate global warming into the organization of its future missions and to tackle the renovation of its equipment.

How does the army prepare for a world where the temperature will have risen by 3 degrees by 2100, this rise being the scenario chosen to develop the strategy?

On April 22, the Ministry of the Armed Forces published its "Climate and Defense" strategy.

This study presents, among other things, how soldiers' missions will change with climate change and how equipment must be redesigned to withstand new weather conditions.

The warming scenario adopted is that of an increase in global temperatures of 3 degrees by 2100. 

The armies therefore plan to come more to the aid of the populations affected by climatic disasters and to support the firefighters in the fight against mega fires.

These missions, oriented "climate", will be added to their current operations.

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New maritime routes to watch

The regiments will also monitor new maritime routes, created in particular by the melting of the ice.

This is the case of the Arctic, the area of ​​which has shrunk considerably, as army spokesman Hervé Grandjean explains.

“It redraws the maps with new geopolitical flows, economic flows, and why not, crime flows,” he says.

"We are therefore preparing to ward off possible threats."

Another axis of this "Climate and Defense" strategy: the resistance of equipment to high temperatures.

The operation of submarines must therefore adapt to new conditions.

Upgradable submarines, helicopters and drones 

"The propagation of waves underwater, and in particular sound waves, depends on the temperature", resumes Hervé Grandjean.

"So if the temperature of an ocean increases, the way the waves will propagate underwater will be different. And our ability to detect an enemy submarine will also change."

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Finally, warming will amplify water evaporation, which will consequently increase the risk of icing for drones and small helicopters.

Research is underway to improve these devices.