Described by officials as the most significant change in French strategic thinking since 1960, "advanced deterrence" nonetheless retains much of the original concept as defined by then-President Charles de Gaulle.
There will be no explicit "guarantee" given to partner countries, and it is the president of France who will retain sole decision-making power over when to fire a nuclear missile.
The aim remains to convince potential adversaries that "if they have the audacity to attack France... there will be an unsustainable price to be paid," the president said.
Until now there has been a deliberate vagueness about what France regards as its "vital interests", an attack on which would trigger a nuclear response.
In recent years governments have hinted that "vital interests" could also include interests in Europe. With Macron's "advanced deterrence", this concept has been given further shape – though in accordance with the general theory of deterrence nothing is spelled out.
Under the same principle, Macron said that from now on France would no longer communicate to the world the number of nuclear warheads in its possession.
France already has a cooperation agreement with Europe's only other nuclear power – the United Kingdom. Recently UK officials took part for the first time in exercises by France's FAS.
Shortly after the speech, France and Germany jointly announced plans for "closer cooperation" in the field of nuclear deterrence.
The two countries will "take the first steps this year, including German participation in French nuclear exercises... and the development of conventional capacities with European partners," according to a text signed by Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
"This cooperation will complement, not replace, Nato's nuclear deterrent," they said.