A French soldier from the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) during a live demonstration at the Eurosatory defense and security trade fair in Paris, France, on Sunday, June 14, 2026. (Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
MILAN — France’s Army Chief of Staff Gen. Jacques de Montgros has issued his first agenda for the army since taking up the position on July 26, outlining the service’s top priorities.
Dated Aug. 24, but publicly shared in a post on X on Monday, the statement shares Montgros’ three main themes for the French army: integrating artificial intelligence, adapting to the new strategic environment, and navigating future recruiting challenges the service will have to tackle. Of those themes, the most pressing matter was the need to quickly integrate artificial intelligence and autonomous systems into the service’s operations, he said.
“The Army must scale up the integration of these developments without abandoning its other capabilities or other factors that provide superiority, namely the commander’s judgement and collective strength,” he said in the statement.
The second challenge is for the Army to adapt to shifts in the strategic landscape, which Montgros referred to as “Europe’s strategic awakening,” — the same theme as the July 14 Bastille Day military parade in Paris.
