ABSTRACT
Within the Ministry of Defence, the director of the DMA – a position first occupied by General Gaston Lavaud – was second only to the minister in terms of influence. The DMA was responsible for all issues relating to armaments, and initially had two main purposes: to develop an independent nuclear capability, and to procure conventional weapons to meet the needs of the French armed forces. Collectively, the Offices were a cornerstone of the export-promotion system – for example they were directly involved in about half of all French arms sales during the 1980s. Some of the Offices were state-owned; others had mixed public and private ownership, with the government represented at board level via the DGA. Staffed mostly by former senior officers in the French armed forces, their mission was to promote French military equipment abroad (which included forging relationships with local officials), participate in negotiations and offer after-sales services.
