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52m ago

France Opens Recruitment for 10-Month Voluntary National Military Service

Officials say the selective, paid scheme builds domestic capabilities to support a longer-term hybrid force model.

Des aviateurs de l’armée de l’air et de l’espace (AAE) marchent en formation serrée, au centre d’entraînement de la base aérienne 115 à Orange-Caritat (Vaucluse) le 5 décembre 2025.
L'objectif de l'Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace est d'avoir formé 2000 aviateurs d'ici 2030 dans le cadre de ce nouveau service national.
Image
Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, Chief of Staff of the French Navy, Chief of Defence Staff of the French Armed Forces Fabien Mandon, French Defence and Veterans Minister Catherine Vautrin, General Pierre Schill, Chief of Staff of the Army, and Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force Jerome Bellanger attend a press conference to present the launch of the French national service recruitment campaign, in Paris, France, January 12, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Overview

  • Applications opened on January 12 and run until April, with 3,000 volunteers to be selected in the spring and incorporated between September and November 2026.
  • The first cohort will serve exclusively on French territory for ten months after a one‑month basic training, with assignments across the Army (1,800), Navy (600), and Air & Space Force (600).
  • Participants will earn about €800 gross per month with housing, meals and equipment provided, and the service can count as a gap year with Parcoursup choices preserved.
  • Selection is competitive, requiring an interview, medical exam and security vetting, with roles spanning disaster response, counter‑terrorism surveillance, cyber, drones, logistics, technical trades and medical support.
  • The government budgets about €150 million for 2026 and €2.3 billion for 2026–2030, with planned expansion to 4,000 places in 2027 and 10,000 annually by 2030, and post‑service pathways into studies, the reserves or active duty.