President Emmanuel Macron has said France would increase orders for Rafale fighter jets and invest nearly 1.5 billion euros into one of its air bases to equip its squadrons with the latest nuclear missile technology, adding the country will have to get ready to defend itself "if we want to avoid war".
European countries including France have been seeking to boost defence spending and ramp up production of weapons in the face of possible US security disengagement and Russian aggression.
