France does not feel the need to field new types on ops in order to justify their purchase in the same way that UK and U.S. Military leaders do.
Hmmmm. F-22 reached IOC in 2005. And after a decade of service has seen minimal actual operational service. Raptor did not see combat till late 2014 over Syria. F-35 has seen the same slow (one could call it glacial) work up. The first production C-17 was delivered in 1993 and the first squadron was not operational until two years later. Going back to the 70s and the F-15, the first production Eagle was delivered in 1974. It took another year before the first squadron was operational. The first F-15 deployment was not until 1977.
So I personally don't see any rush by USAF to "field new types" to "justify their purchase". In fact, just the opposite.
By comparison, France received its first A400 in September 2013. Just three months later, that A400 was deployed to Mali. Was that rush to "field" the A400 used to "justify their purchase"? Maybe. Maybe not.