France is to close 83 of its military units in a major shake-up of its defence strategy, the French prime minister has said. Speaking at a press conference, Francois Fillon said money saved would be poured back into the armed forces. He also promised the government would help towns and villages cope with the economic fall-out when the local garrison moved on.
The changes are the biggest shake-up of defence policy in 14 years. Mr Fillon announced that the military sites which face closure include regiments, logistic centres and air force bases.
Interior focus
He added that the modernisation plan would generate savings of more than $3bn (1.9bn euros; £1.5bn) a year, which would be re-invested back into the armed forces. Last month, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said it was time to refocus France's defence priorities on interior rather than exterior security, warning the biggest threat to the country was now a terrorist attack.