French troops are preparing for a high-intensity conflict in Europe against an enemy that can match their firepower. POLITICO writes about the training and UNN reports.
The world has shown its true nature: unstable, dangerous, and not everyone is a friend. We are preparing for a culture of anxiety, of being ready at a moment's notice. CENTAC is the only place [in France] where you can see what war is like.
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Colonel Axel Denis, who runs the Combat Training Center (CENTAC) in Mailles-les-Camps in eastern France, emphasized that the war in Ukraine, now in its third year, has brought security back to the forefront of the continent.
The CENTAC training camp covers an area of 120 square kilometers and is considered unique in France. The conditions here are as close as possible to a real battlefield. The sound, heat, and light of artillery fire are recreated, while fake mines are scattered everywhere and radio communications can be interrupted without warning. It is the only place where the different units of the French army - infantry, armor, artillery, and engineers - which are usually scattered across the country, can train together. It's also the only place where two dozen Leclerc tanks are available year-round.
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French officers do not name potential enemies, but the exercise is aimed at preparing troops to deal with an enemy like Russia. After decades of military operations in Africa, France is increasingly focusing on Europe's eastern flank, and its armed forces must be credible, Army Chief General Pierre Schill said in January. By 2027, the French army aims to deploy one division of about 25,000 soldiers in 30 days.
We are not in the same situation as Ukraine, but we are part of a coalition, and this is accompanied by obligations... The notion of trust in collective defense, especially in NATO, is important.
The French military is training in scenarios that have already taken place in Ukraine. According to CENTAC officers, the main lesson for Ukraine is to avoid frontal attacks, which lead to huge losses and cannot drive back the enemy.
Instead, infantry, armor, engineers, and artillery, integrated with new technologies such as drones that transmit information to troops and provide lethal force on the battlefield, must work seamlessly together.
The war in Ukraine has reinforced the importance of combined arms combat. This is the only way to fight.
Vincent is the head of the camp's coordination and management department. His name is withheld for security reasons. Armies that are unable to combine tanks, artillery and infantry are at enormous risk, as both sides in the war in Ukraine have demonstrated.
The French military officer noted that due to the lack of coordination in both the Ukrainian and Russian troops, neither side was able to break through the well-prepared defenses that currently dominate the 1,000-kilometer front line.
The Russian armed forces are insufficiently trained and resourced for general armament.
This has forced Moscow to rely on costly human wave attacks rather than quick wins.
Guillaume Ansel, a former French military officer, is convinced that Ukraine has not mastered this approach either, and this has led to the current impasse.
Війна на “землі” зайшла в глухий кут, тому що були затримки в техніці - Зеленський05.02.24, 10:00
Therefore, Western troops are now learning how to prevent such situations and how to get out of them.