
Visiting Fellow @ASPI_org + Adjunct Fellow @Ecole_navale, @IRSEM1, @IRASECBangkok. Views mine. RTs not endorsements.
Canberra, Australian Capital T
Joined February 2016
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Eric Frécon retweeted
Australia hits a stumbling block in Fiji with domestic political pushback on Ocean of Peace treaty + Vuvale Union. Parliamentary committee recommends govt defer approval of both treaties and undertake "further negotiations" with Aus. But Fiji's Foreign Minister vows to push ahead
Eric Frécon retweeted
#OCEANIE26 | The #FAPF inspected a foreign fishing vessel on the high seas pocket between the EEZs of Kiribati and Tuvalu, alongside the WCPFC and @TunaFFA to face illegal fishing and protect marine resources. 🚢🚁
#CPP
🤖 Made with AI
Eric Frécon retweeted
🇫🇷🌊The French frigate Prairial continues its mission in the Pacific. The vessel was spotted in Kwajalein, Marshall islands, in late october 2026⚓️
Eric Frécon retweeted
Fiji’s Parliament has been urged to defer ratification of two major treaties with Australia, with a parliamentary committee warning that the agreements could have significant implications for the country’s sovereignty, independent foreign policy and national security.
maitvfiji.com/parliament-urg…
Eric Frécon retweeted
« What Exactly Is Forward Deterrence? »
Nearly eight months after the speech at Île Longue, several aspect of the forward deterrence initiative remains misunderstood, both in France and internationally.
Often mischaracterized as a "nuclear umbrella" intended to replace American protection, it is, in fact, an initiative designed to prevent an adversary from being able to predict the consequences of an act of aggression against one of France’s allies on Europe—regardless of whether that ally is a formal participant in the forward deterrence framework.
This article aims to provide a comprehensive explanation of forward deterrence, broken down into eleven points that I consider fundamental. As always, any comments, questions, or corrections are welcome.
It is once again illustrated with a great map created by @Seb_Masson_ for an upcoming paper on French strategic operations in the Far North. Many thanks to him for his work, which provides a concrete visualization of the operational value of forward deterrence. 🙏
Link ⬇️
Eric Frécon retweeted
🇫🇷⚓ 𝗠𝗲̂𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗘́𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀-𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘀 𝗱𝗲 𝗹𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗾𝘂𝗶 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗿𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘂𝘅𝗶𝗲̀𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗗𝗜 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟭𝟬 𝗺𝗼𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗿𝗲̀𝘀 𝗹𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲̀𝗿𝗲
Pendant que l'US Navy accumule les retards, les dépassements de budget et les programmes abandonnés, la France livre ses frégates à un rythme qui commence sérieusement à impressionner à l'étranger !
Le 30 octobre 2026, à Lorient, Naval Group a en effet officiellement livré le Nearchos à la marine grecque, dix mois seulement après la remise du Kimon, sa première frégate FDI !
La troisième, le Formion, est attendue avant la fin de l'année. Trois frégates de guerre de 4 500 tonnes livrées au même client en un an : voilà une performance industrielle qui ne passe pas inaperçue !
🇺🇸 Outre-Atlantique, les observateurs spécialisés s'intéressent de près aux méthodes françaises. Il faut dire que le contraste est saisissant avec les difficultés américaines : 32 destroyers Zumwalt initialement prévus, seulement 3 construits ; des Littoral Combat Ships retirés prématurément ; et surtout l'abandon du programme de frégates Constellation, après des années de retards et de surcoûts.
À Lorient, Naval Group a fait un choix différent : construction numérique, préfabrication de grands blocs équipés à 85 %, assemblage simultané de plusieurs coques et intégration anticipée des systèmes de combat.
Résultat : le chantier revendique une capacité de production de deux FDI par an.
⚔️ Et le Nearchos n'est pas qu'une réussite industrielle. Cette nouvelle frégate dispose notamment de 32 cellules de lancement pour missiles Aster, du radar Sea Fire de Thales, de missiles antinavires Exocet et d'un système de défense rapprochée RAM.
Derrière ces livraisons, c'est aussi toute la filière navale française qui marque des points à l'exportation, avec des commandes grecques et suédoises qui viennent compléter celles de la Marine nationale.
💬 Selon vous, la France est-elle en train de devenir une référence mondiale dans la construction de frégates militaires ?
Notre article complet :
👉 forum-militaire.fr/meme-les-…
#NavalGroup #FDI #france #bateau #navire #Défense #Grèce
🤖 Made with AI
In the @australian, @BuchananLiz discusses the security risks of the University of Tasmania’s science partnership with a Chinese institution that ASPI’s China Defence Universities Tracker identifies as having close ties to the PLA Navy.
🗞️ Read more: bit.ly/4A4VnsO
Eric Frécon retweeted
Participants concluded that regional cooperation, transparency, and community involvement should play a greater role in security decisions, rather than leaving the future of Micronesia solely to Washington and Beijing.
rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/22922…
Welcome to China's view of the South China Sea:
2012: The occupied Scarborough Shoal
2015: They promised no militarization at the White House Rose Garden Speech
2016: They boycotted the UNCLOS PCA Tribunal and rejected the judgement
2021: China Coast Guard Law grants authority to use weapons and take enforcement measures in maritime areas
2024: China authorized the Coast Guard to detain foreign ships and individuals
2026: They avoided ADMM-Plus ministerial level participation
And now:
➡️ They showcase themselves conducting law enforcement patrols at the Scarborough Shoal against 🇵🇭 fishermen.
On October 30, CCG conducted law-enforcement patrols in the territorial sea of #ScarboroughShoal and its surrounding areas to counter PCG' approaching and incursion.
One must wonder which ADMM statement and which clauses angered 🇨🇳 so much, that they scolded everyone following the meeting which their own Defense Minister avoided.
Perhaps it was this one:
UPHOLD the relevance of the ADMM and ADMM-Plus by anticipating and adapting to the evolving regional architecture, and facilitating collective and constructive efforts to address and respond to emerging and current security challenges in the region and beyond;
--
The world can only guess, what caused the temper tantrum by 🇨🇳 on the 20th anniversary of ADMM.
Eric Frécon retweeted
“NZ First has published its defence policy, proposing to cancel the purchase of new British or Japanese frigates to replace the ageing Anzac-class […]This makes unexpected bedfellows out of NZ First & the Greens who also want to torpedo the procurement” newsroom.co.nz/2026/10/29/nz…
Eric Frécon retweeted
Papua New Guinea security forces have launched an emergency operation at Napa Napa Wharf, Port Moresby, after intercepting military explosives, large-caliber artillery shell projectiles - allegedly linked to a Chinese criminal syndicate.
~Credits: PNG Garamut
facebook.com/share/p/193sQfL…
Eric Frécon retweeted
Some personal reflections on US defence Secretary Hegseth's proposal at the ADMM meeting for a US-ASEAN defence framework. #ASEAN #ADMM #Defence #regionalsecurity #southeastasia
channelnewsasia.com/asia/heg…
Eric Frécon retweeted
Team Europe in action at @IMARC_Mining! The first-ever EU Pavilion showcased 🇪🇺-🇦🇺 cooperation on critical minerals. From high-level discussions and networking to industry engagement and site visits, we're building more resilient supply chains and stronger partnerships.
Eric Frécon retweeted
Aujourd'hui, on apprend donc que D. #Trump s'apprêterait à lever les sanctions appliquées par les #EtatsUnis depuis 2022 sur le Fonds russe d'investissements directs, fonds souverain qui sert à #Poutine à influencer la politique internationale...1/ nytimes.com/2026/10/27/us/po…
Eric Frécon retweeted
“The argument that you would use these bases to disperse forces to me is a fantasy in the current reality. How can you disperse forces on bases that you can’t defend?”
postguam.com/news/local/anal…
Eric Frécon retweeted
Extreme sensitivity around this topic. @dfat officials won't even tell Estimates if they've received a request from Taiwan to open a Perth trade office. They hint request is likely to be denied ("appropriate to advance through offices already in Australia") but no real clarity









































