France to Spend Over $4Bln on Military Satellites Renewal - Defense Minister

PARIS (Sputnik) - Paris will spend 3.6 billion euros (over $4 billion) for military satellites renewal, French Defense Minister Florence Parly told the French radio station Europe 1 on Sunday.

"We have envisaged 3.6 billion euros for the renewal of the military satellites' potential in the law on military planning," Parly said, as broadcast by the Europe 1 French radio station.

She went on to say that the new satellites would have surveillance cameras so that France could "just know who approaches."

The news comes just two days after the minister accused Moscow of committing "an act of espionage" back in 2017, claiming that a Russian satellite had approached the French-Italian military satellite Athena-Fidus in order to intercept its communications.

On June 28, the French parliament adopted a bill on military planning for 2019-2025, envisaging the increase of defense spending up to 2 percent of the country's GDP, which means that French military expenses should reach 295 billion euros by 2025.

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The move is in line with French President Emmanuel Macron's campaign promises, as well as with the NATO's military expenditure targets. In 2014, the NATO member states pledged to increase their defense spending up to 2 percent of their GDPs within 10 years.