Competitive and sustainable, the Defense Technological and Industrial Base (DTIB) is structured around a dozen major groups and nearly 4,000 SMEs, of which 350 are considered strategic. It is capable of designing and producing almost all the equipment required by the armed forces. It is one of the few sectors, along with aeronautics, to make a positive contribution to France’s trade balance.

Defense plays a special role in the French economy, and defense manufacturers have ideas and a need to be supported. They must be able to adapt both to new programs (increased production rates) and to economic difficulties.