France's Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, warned on Thursday that failure to adopt the 2027 defense budget by the end of the year would prevent the French army from placing "any orders." She emphasized the importance of passing the budget to ensure continued investment, preparation, and training for the armed forces, especially as France prepares for the potential of a "major engagement" with Russia. Vautrin spoke before the deputies of the Defense committee, highlighting the risks of delayed approval. The proposed 2027 budget allocates 63.4 billion euros for the Armed Forces, representing an 11% increase compared to previous years, in line with the updated military programming law (LPM) passed this summer. Vautrin reiterated that if the budget is not approved by year-end, funding would be limited to the 2026 level, creating a shortfall of 6.5 billion euros. This would prevent long-term investment, including arms programs and the placement of new orders, as the armed forces would lack the financial capacity to pay for them. The budget includes plans to acquire more than 4 billion euros worth of ammunition, compared to 2.4 billion in 2026, and to allocate over one billion euros each for surface-air defense, space and advanced warning systems, and the mass production of drones and robotics. Vautrin noted that the armed forces must prepare for a potential large-scale conflict while continuing their daily missions. She cited Russia's actions as a clear threat, including its efforts to subdue Ukraine and create a new security organization that would disadvantage Europe, while increasing arms production and hostile actions against France. The 2027 budget also includes plans to increase both civilian and military personnel in the armed forces by 2,150. It aims to raise the number of operational reservists to 57,500, an increase of 5,500, and allocate 230 million euros for 4,000 conscripts expected next year—1,000 more than in 2026. These measures are part of a broader strategy to strengthen France's military readiness and capacity in the face of evolving security challenges.