Description
Despite a complex and rapidly evolving security context, France has not altered its ambitious strategic agenda – broadly defined by French autonomy, European leadership and global influence – or redefined its supporting offensive doctrine. Instead, it seeks to transform its military to meet emerging challenges whilst maintaining its grand strategy. I explore the tensions between French strategic ambition and force design and provide an in-depth case study investigating the endogenous and exogenous dynamics driving and shaping French transformation. To provide a comprehensive answer to the core question ‘why and how France is transforming its army?’, I use OST (Ontological Security Theory), the end ways and means model and interview-based qualitative research. My investigation aims to better understand French strategic goals by analysing its strategic culture through an OST lens; identify the major transformations remodelling the land army to meet these goals and see how these are perceived and integrated by the force. The analysis is articulated around several structuring themes including (1) drivers and shapers of transformation; (2) dynamics of continuity and change (3) temporality and transformation; and (3) network and transformation.
