15 Largest French Companies in the U.S.

Ramish Cheema
10 min read

In This Article:

In this piece, we will take a look at the 15 largest French companies in the U.S. For more French firms, head on over to 5 Largest French Companies in the U.S.

France is one of the biggest economies and one of the most powerful countries on the planet. According to estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the French economy was worth a whopping $2.9 trillion as of April 2023. France is also a former colonial power and ruled over significant portions of Africa for most of the continent's history over the past century. It is one of the most historic countries in the world, known for its empires and dynasties – and their downfall as well. The French military dictator Napoleon is widely revered as one of the greatest military commanders in human history, yet the revolutionaries that overthrew the French monarchy that led to Napoleon's take over of power are also equally remembered.

In modern day times, France played an inconsequential role in the second world war, as it was occupied by Nazi Germany during the war's early days. The German invasion lasted for five years and France was the center of fighting during the war as the Allies fought to liberate the country from the Germans. However, while Japan is highly praised for its economic growth after the war ended, equally impressive are France's achievements - especially since it is one of the biggest military powers in the world and one of the few countries that previously controlled a full spectrum of nuclear delivery options, commonly known as the nuclear triad and comprising of land, sea, and air based nuclear delivery systems.

In fact, it can very well be argued that after the U.S., France has the strongest privatized defense industries. The French firm ArianeGroup is one of two private companies in the world that has an operational submarine launched nuclear ballistic missile dubbed the M51. The M51 is capable of reaching its target at least 10,000 kilometers away, making it the second longest range missile of its kind, surpassed only by the American Trident. Trident has a range of 12,000 kilometers and is made by the space division of Lockheed Martin. These systems have stood the test of time, as even China does not possess these lethal weapons.

However, France's defense dominance isn't limited to the M51. The French firm Dassault Aviation Société anonyme (EPA:AM.PA) is one of the world's leading fighter jet manufacturers and stands shoulder to shoulder with Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT). As is the case with the M51, Dassault, one of the largest French companies, is also only one of two private companies that has an operational fifth generation fighter aircraft. The other, unsurprisingly, is Lockheed. Dassault's fifth generation Rafale jet is also one of the most widely sought aircraft in the world, particularly since the American counterpart, the F-22 Raptor, cannot be exported under U.S. law due to its significant air superiority advantages.

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