Budget Calls For Land, Air-to-Air Missiles

The new French defense budget calls for funding of infantry medium-range missiles and firing posts for Afghanistan, Defense News reports.

Paris also plans to order 200 Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, said procurement officials.

The type of infantry missile to be procured has not yet been decided, said a Defense Ministry spokesman. The U.S.-built Javelin and the Israeli Spike are said to be contenders.

The 2010 defense budget earmarked 17.02 billion euros...