Yesterday, without prejudging the conclusions of the defence white paper, Herve Morin presented the ''avenues that have to be explored'' in restructuring France's defence apparatus. Speaking before the entire defence community, the minister was first anxious to reassure the armed forces, which will not be ''put on [rations] of dry bread'' and which are not ''being asked to tighten their belts'' more than other institutions. ''Next year, we shall continue spending 16 billion euros on our materiel,'' he promised.
This being said, defence ''cannot be exempt from making any effort'' and there will have to be greater ''effectiveness'' through sustained work. The ''avenues'' for savings and rationalization then followed. The minister went on to wonder ''what is the justification for having seven administrations for human resources, 48 different data applications for 52 departments managing funds?'' There will also certainly be a need to rethink the organization of the army's military regions, in particular, and to reduce the number of air bases, which also number 52, given that the arrival of the Rafale (a multi-role aircraft) should make it possible to reduce the number of bases. The ratio between operational forces and support personnel also seems to be unsatisfactory. In France, according to the minister, it is 60/40 while it is 65/35 in Great Britain. ''The goal should be to have at least an equivalent ratio,'' said Herve Morin. There will also undoubtedly be a need to go further on the ''ou! tsourcing'' path. The minister pointed out that support for some fleets of airplanes and helicopters and initial pilot training in Cognac had already been outsourced.

European Pooling
Questions must also be asked about the DGA's [General Directorate for Weapons] role and place as well as what will happen to its sphere of activities ''if it become an agency.'' Savings could also involve European pooling [of resources]. Herve Morin wants to give some thought to the creation of ''a transportation fleet at the European level, which would accompany the arrival of the A400M.'' This military Airbus, the French armed forces' future tactical transport airplane, is going to equip several European forces.
The minister somewhat surprised the many industry leaders present in Toulouse when he wondered about ''the justification for perpetually racing towards maximum technology.'' Herve Morin would like to have [industry] ''offer politicians the possibility of choosing equipment that is a little less sophisticated,'' sufficient for the intensity of current crises. ''I am told that the jump to hyper-technology - the 5 per cent or 10 per cent representing the final technological effort in each programme - can increase a programme's cost by 20 per cent to 30 per cent,'' he confided.
At the same time however, he admitted that we could not dismiss the risk of ''a major military threat resurfacing'': conflicts where military technology could make the difference.