France, which has one of Europe's largest military forces, has announced it will reduce its military personnel by 54,000 and close 83 military sites from next year.
Prime Minister Francois Fillon said the changes were part of a major restructuring plan to save billions of euros and that a smaller, more agile military was better suited to today's defence needs. Most of the sites to be closed will be in France's north. Locals are opposing the closures, saying they will hurt the economy.
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