France to cut back nuclear arsenal

President Nicolas Sarkozy announced Friday that he would reduce France’s stockpile of nuclear warheads, but said the country still needed a robust program to deter such potential enemies as Iran from ever striking.

In his first major speech about France’s nuclear capabilities since being elected in May, Sarkozy, who is facing increased budget constraints, said the cuts would still leave France with almost 300 warheads in its arsenal.

“Iran is increasing the range of its missiles while serious doubts are raised regarding its nuclear program,” Sarkozy said. “It is the security of Europe that is at stake. This is why we care about our nuclear deterrence. It is strictly defensive.”

France’s warheads are designed to be launched from submarines or airplanes. Sarkozy said the nation’s airborne weaponry would be cut by one-third.

By giving that number, Sarkozy broke with a tradition of secrecy surrounding the French nuclear arsenal. He urged other nuclear powers to be similarly transparent, and encouraged the United States and China to commit themselves to a treaty banning tests of nuclear weapons.

Sarkozy spoke in the northern port of Cherbourg to workers building “Le Terrible,” the fourth of France’s latest generation of nuclear-powered and -armed submarines. It is expected to launch in 2010 and carry new M51 nuclear missiles with multiple warheads and a longer range than current missiles, according to news wires.

Bruno Tertrais, a defense expert at the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research, said France had cut in half its nuclear stockpile since its peak in the early 1990s.

“The way the French answer the famous question of ‘how much is enough?’ is usually very restrictive,” Tertrais said. “They have no weapons in reserve, which is a big difference with the United States. That is why Sarkozy was able to say the ideal number is everything we have.”

Tertrais also said the national budget is a large factor when a French president considers the country’s military firepower. Sarkozy talked about taking charge of a nation “in the red for 25 years” and needing to overhaul the defense budget.

“The national budget is overstretched, and with troops around the world this is a problem,” Tertrais said. “But of course the president has to decide what is needed for its nuclear defenses. At the end of day, it’s a very political judgment and a priority.”

Since his election, Sarkozy has frequently mentioned his concern about a possible nuclear-armed Iran. France needs a nuclear arsenal as a “life insurance policy” against such a threat, he said, noting, “Everyone must be aware today that even far-flung powers’ nuclear missiles can reach Europe in less than half an hour.”