PARIS – France's military will slash its ranks by 54,000 personnel and close dozens of air, army and other bases in an overhaul meant to slim forces at home while making it easier and faster to deploy troops abroad, the prime minister announced Thursday.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said the 15 percent cut in manpower and base closings will save billions of dollars but still permit an agile military suited to the country's security needs.

Like other European countries, France is grappling with aging military equipment and budget constraints while facing new threats such as terrorism.

Fillon said the military units and bases slated for closure are “ones that are no longer adapted to today's threats.”

“Everyone understands that we don't need as many ... tanks when we're not facing the threat of an invasion,” he said. “We need more means of intelligence gathering, operative mobility, lighter and more reactive forces.”

The overhaul grew out of a recent review of the role of France's nuclear-armed military. In unveiling that paper last month, President Nicolas Sarkozy laid out his vision for a leaner, smarter and more high-tech 21st century military.

France's military is believed to number about 350,000, including gendarmes. Fillon said 54,000 personnel will be cut and 83 bases will be closed starting in 2009. The military will concentrate most of its remaining troops at 85 to 90 beefed-up bases, he said.

Under the overhaul, France aims to be able to deploy as many as 30,000 soldiers abroad at one time. It currently has more than 10,000 serving in U.N. and NATO operations in places such as Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Chad.

Officials in towns slated to lose their bases argue the plan will be disastrous for local economies and say they will fight the closures.

Fillon said he understood people's fears and promised $503 million in aid to the most affected regions, many in France's depressed northeast. He also said measures would be taken to encourage investment in the those regions.