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December 4, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Le budget défense 2021 adopté par le Sénat

Par Le Figaro avec AFP

Publié hier à 19:55

Le Sénat a adopté ce jeudi le budget 2021 des Armées, en hausse pour la troisième année consécutive (+4,5% sur un an) à 39,2 milliards d'euros.

Ce budget «pour la troisième année consécutive respecte à la lettre les engagements et la trajectoire financière de la loi de programmation militaire» (LPM) 2019-2025, a fait valoir devant les sénateurs la ministre des Armées Florence Parly. «Nous le faisons malgré la crise sanitaire et malgré la crise économique qui prévaut actuellement. Donc c'est à la fois de la continuité, de la confiance par la visibilité donnée et de la relance», a-t-elle affirmé à l'AFP peu avant le vote des sénateurs.

Lors du débat, la ministre a été interrogée sur le coût du remplacement de 12 avions Rafale prélevés sur l'inventaire de l'armée de l'Air au profit de la Grèce. Athènes a annoncé mi-septembre son intention d'acquérir six Rafale neufs et douze d'occasion, pour un montant compris «entre un et deux milliards d'euros», selon le cabinet de la ministre. «Les discussions pourraient aboutir d'ici la fin de l'année», selon Florence Parly. «Si ce contrat aboutit, alors le produit de la vente des Rafale d'occasion reviendra bien au ministère des Armées» et non au budget général de l'Etat, a-t-elle déclaré. «Nous avons eu toutes les assurances du ministère de l'Economie et des Finances à ce sujet.» Pour remplacer les 12 avions d'occasion vendus à la Grèce, Paris doit commander en parallèle 12 Rafale neufs pour les besoins de l'armée de l'Air française.

Florence Parly a par ailleurs indiqué aux sénateurs que les surcoûts des opérations extérieures (Opex) et intérieures s'élevaient en 2020 à 1,46 milliard d'euros. Ils «sont couverts en 2020 à la fois par la provision constituée en loi de finances initiale (1,1 milliard, NDR), ainsi que par des contributions internationales et des redéploiements internes inférieurs à 60 millions d'euros et enfin par des ouvertures de crédits (...) pour 200 millions d'euros», a-t-elle détaillé.

La ministre a toutefois indiqué avoir renoncé à ce dernier financement en raison du «contexte sanitaire» et «par solidarité interministérielle». Sur le milliard d'euros de crédits gelés en début d'année au titre de «réserve de précaution», «800 millions d'euros qui étaient gelés ont été dégelés dès la mi-novembre», a-t-elle plaidé auprès de l'AFP. Le budget 2021 doit faire l'objet d'une adoption définitive par le Parlement au plus tard le 18 décembre.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/le-budget-defense-2021-adopte-par-le-senat-20201203

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