ABSTRACT
The quantitative and qualitative changes in French nuclear forces provoke the logical question of how they will affect French nuclear employment doctrine. The significant increases in capability, survivability, and flexibility that the modernization program will bring in the next decade offer new options to France's defense planners and decision makers. Various official and authoritative statements have established France's targeting criteria as representing greater damage to its adversary's population and economic potential than France itself constitutes. Improvements in Soviet firepower and force modernization may make a purely conventional attack die first choice of the USSR. France's tactical nuclear modernization will create a credible warfighting capability with the reach to attack Soviet and Warsaw Pact targets in Eastern Europe before they cross the West German border. French tactical nuclear forces have limited warfighting capability, but the modernized forces will permit the adoption of tactical counter-force targeting against the Warsaw Pact armed forces.
