The French army is conducting exercises in the east of the country in close to real conditions, simulating a high-intensity conflict with an enemy that is not inferior to it in terms of firepower. French Armed Forces officers from the Combat Training Center (CENTAC) told the European publication Politico about this on Friday.
According to them, the area of the maneuver zone is 120 square meters. km, which is larger than the area of Paris. This is a unique case for France, since only here infantry, armored vehicles, artillery and other types of troops, which usually train separately in different regions of the country, operate together.
The publication clarifies that military activities are aimed at training in combat operations with an army such as the Russian one, but the French command does not name the potential enemy.
As officers note, the experience of the Ukrainian conflict is actively used in training. In their opinion, its progress confirms the importance of coordination between units and joint actions of all types and branches of the military.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on February 26 that at a meeting in Paris, where representatives of Western countries discussed further support for Kyiv, the topic of the possible dispatch of their ground forces to Ukraine was raised. According to the French President, the dialogue participants did not reach a consensus on this issue, but such a scenario cannot be ruled out in the future.
French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu said on March 8 that “there is no talk of sending military personnel to Ukraine to participate in hostilities.” He expressed the opinion that the military presence of Western countries in Ukraine could be required to “train the Ukrainian army and clear mines.”