France has always had a historically strong security sector that influences global geopolitics. The country claims a position as one of the big defense and security exporters in the world, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in its March 2022 Fact Sheet. Between 2017 and 2021, French defense exports reached 11% of the global total – a quite dramatic increase by 59% compared to the preceding period from 2012 to 2016. SIPRI highlights that the success of French exports has been primarily driven by the Dassault Rafale aircraft. The SIPRI data reveals the destinations of France’s defense export, clearly demonstrating the country’s far-reaching influence. In the 2017-2021 period, Asia and Oceania received 47% of all French exports, while the Middle East accounted for 37%. Aircraft dominated the export portfolio, representing 56% of total defense exports, and ships made up an additional 1%. India, Qatar, and Egypt emerged as the key markets, collectively constituting 56% of French defense exports. India alone received 29% of French exports, with SIPRI noting that arms exports to India in this period were almost 11 times higher than in the preceding five years. The Dassault Rafale, a versatile and sophisticated aircraft, is the undisputed MVP in this success story. India received 54 Rafales, Qatar 30, and Egypt 18 between 2017 and 2021. Notably, orders for an additional 188 aircraft were secured in 2021. Qatar, in particular, witnessed a remarkable surge in defense sales with figures indicating a staggering 25-fold increase in the 2017-2021 period compared to 2012-2016. Given the current political instability and the ongoing wars in the Ukraine and Gaza, we’re going to see a further strengthening of France’s security industry in order to meet global demands as well as fulfill its obligations as a member of NATO.