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Strategic Signaling: A Lever for France in the Competition Between Powers?

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Focus Stratégique
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From the joint and combined Orion 2023 exercice to the deployment of Leclerc tanks in Romania, through the qualification fire of new missiles, the French armed forces conduct many manoeuvres and activities that are now described as falling under the "strategic signaling".

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French armed forces during Exercices Heifara, Polaris and Orion
French armed forces during Exercices Heifara, Polaris and Orion
© État-major des Armées
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This concept, resulting from nuclear deterrence, describes a way to spread a strategic message designed at the highest level of government, using several levers, of which military action is one of the main ones. Properly handled, strategic signaling demonstrates France's willingness and credibility to defend its interests and those of its partners. It also allows to modulate the action and reaction of the competitor by avoiding crossing the threshold of the conflictuality, and is part of a broader approach of influence, essential in a perspective of a multi domain integrated action.

However, in order to be effective, that is to say correctly perceived by allies and opponents, this strategic signaling must be in line with the resources available to France, and with a coherent strategy that is still struggling to be defined over the long term. In addition, there is a need to ensure greater fluidity in the design and conduct of signaling, which is still sometimes confused with simple operational communication. Finally, to verify that the message has been understood and has had an impact, it is essential to engage in reflection on the feedback, particularly through the intelligence services.

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979-10-373-0713-2

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Strategic Signaling: A Lever for France in the Competition Between Powers?

Decoration
Author(s)
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Jérémy BACHELIER

Jérémy BACHELIER

Intitulé du poste

Former Military Fellow, Security Studies Center, Ifri

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heloise fayet

Héloïse FAYET

Intitulé du poste

Research Fellow and Head of the Deterrence and Proliferation program, Security Studies Center, Ifri

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Security Studies Center
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Heir to a tradition dating back to the founding of Ifri, the Security Studies Center provides public and private decision-makers as well as the general public with the keys to understanding power relations and contemporary modes of conflict as well as those to come. Through its positioning at the juncture of politics and operations, the credibility of its civil-military team and the wide distribution of its publications in French and English, the Center for Security Studies constitutes in the French landscape of think tanks a unique center of research and influence on the national and international defense debate.

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Date de publication
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As Russia continues to threaten Europe, the Trump administration is making no secret of its desire to withdraw—at least partially—from the defense of the Old
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How should Britain and France cooperate to realise the Northwood Declaration?

Date de publication
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Accroche

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French armed forces during Exercices Heifara, Polaris and Orion
© État-major des Armées

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Strategic Signaling: A Lever for France in the Competition Between Powers?