On the ground as French troops train Mali's army. BBC
France's Foreign Firepower Threatened By Budget Cuts -- Reuters
(Reuters) - Explosions echo through a valley in southern France, sending up plumes of smoke as four Caesar self-propelled guns fire at distant targets in drills that mirror operations in Mali.
It's a show of firepower organized by arms manufacturer Nexter to demonstrate the guns to the press and which underlines the role of the army in a conflict that has bolstered France's standing as a nation that can project military force. Yet the message may fall on deaf ears in Paris.
France's 31 billion euro ($40 billion) defense budget, already watered down in recent years, could be on the chopping block as President Francois Hollande seeks savings to offset a groaning deficit and weak economic growth.
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My Comment: It looks like France will not be in a position to conduct military operations like Mali in the future.