m. Chiva details, in an interview with the “world”, the actions undertaken to remove the “strangulation bottlenecks” in the defense industries.
words collected by Jean- Michel Bezat, Cédric Pietéturunga and Elise Vincent
Since August 2022, Emmanuel Chiva, 53, is the head of the Directorate General of Armament (DGA), this service of more than 10,000 people, half of which, responsible for coordinating, in Link with armies, all French armaments programs. As such, it is one of the main players in the implementation of the “war economy” wanted by the President of the Republic, since the trigger of the conflict in Ukraine, on February 24, 2022.
In June 2022, Emmanuel Macron called armaments manufacturers to move to a “war economy” model. Nine months later, where are we?
We entered this war economy. Since June, with the Minister of the Armed Forces, we have seen all the representatives of our industrial defense base three times. We have launched five working groups, which led to first concrete results, in terms of strategic stocks, reduction in deadlines, increase in production rates for example.
Industrialists have notably pooled their titanium supply, a very precious material for aeronautics which so far came mainly from Russia. We have also advanced on the relocation of sectors, in particular that linked to explosive powders. Anything that can allow us to produce more and faster is privileged today.
Industrialists also demand firm orders and not only purchase promises. Does the state increase its armaments orders?
We have made orders and we continue to make them. In 2022, for example, we ordered 218 ASTER anti -aircraft missiles, 100 Mistral anti -aircraft missiles and 200 medium -range anti -tank missiles. A number of things have been accelerated. Industrialists today have visibility, which was not necessarily the case a few months ago.
Our concern is more about small subcontractors, who do not all benefit from this same visibility. We have identified two hundred bottlenecks among these SMEs, which are not able to respond to an increase in their activity for lack of labor, by limiting the productive tool, for supply issues, etc Thirty of these bottlenecks have already been settled. We must continue this work.
The European Union is preparing a plan to strengthen the production of ammunition in Europe. Are you favorable there?
A 155 mm shell is an explosive load, modular loads to send the shell more or less far, they are raw materials, components, all more or less shortage. A European plan is interesting if it can increase the offer. All this is still under discussion, but we are in favor.
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