France asks hospitals to prepare for major war in Europe by 2026

France has instructed hospitals to prepare for a possible major military engagement in Europe by March 2026, directing regional health authorities to ready civilian facilities to care for large numbers of wounded soldiers, according to a July 18 letter from the Health Ministry reported by Le Canard Enchaîné. The directive, made public this month, urges hospitals to integrate defense needs into planning and to anticipate the arrival of injured personnel from both French and allied forces.

The ministry document outlines a planning scenario in which hospitals might need to treat between 10,000 and 15,000 soldiers over a period of 10 to 180 days, and recommends setting up temporary medical centers near transport hubs such as airports, ports, train and bus stations to triage or reroute foreign military patients. The letter states, among the risks identified, is the hypothesis of a major engagement where the health issue would consist of taking care of a potentially high influx of victims from abroad, and frames the measures as part of broader crisis-preparedness work.

French Health Minister Catherine Vautrin stressed the measures are precautionary and part of routine readiness. In an...