The most senior French naval commander stated that future conflicts are likely to take place in the maritime and cyber domains, on the grounds that the “rapid re-armament” of China and other countries is a potential threat.
administrator Pierre Van Dier The French Marine Corps and the forces of the five allies including the United Kingdom participated in what he called the unique Two weeks of exercise Designed to prepare for “composite threats.”
Political and diplomatic relations between London and Paris fell to a new low Okus Row When Australia cancelled its contract to purchase French submarines and signed a joint security agreement with the United Kingdom and the United States to purchase American ships, the defense ties between the two countries remained strong.
Lieutenant Duncan Abbott, the only Royal Navy An officer on the aircraft carrier participating in the French Polestar 21 exercise said that he did not see the tension after Orcus.
“There are inextricable connections between France and the United Kingdom, and there are many communicators like me who work with the other’s military. All these relationships are carried out on a personal level every day, without any changes,” he said .
When the North Star exercise was about to end, while speaking to the crew and reporters on the French fleet’s flagship Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, Van Dier said: “In the past 20 years, we have seen the navy involved in conflicts mainly on land. , Such as Syria, Iraq and Libya.
“Today, the marine environment is or will be challenged by submarines, cyber attacks, space attacks, and naval warfare itself. Our mission is to understand these factors in the operating environment.”
Van Dil said that he would not name certain navies in the Mediterranean as “forced marches”-clearly understandable as Russia -China in the Pacific is the main threat.
“Today, we see the navy double to three times its original size. We have seen the Chinese navy triple in 10 years, and now it has surpassed the U.S. Navy,” he said.
He said that the speed of international rearmament is creating chaos and is playing with “the cornerstone of international stability.” “We can’t wait until it’s too late, we can’t be surprised, we have to prove our credibility. In an unrestricted, uncertain, and turbulent world, if we want to be respected, we must show our combativeness. We must be prepared for fighting in all situations.”
Polaris 21 is one of the largest international maritime exercises in history, involving 6,000 military personnel from six countries-all Then The Allies and half of the French navy simulated a “high-intensity” war of control of the occupied territory.
24 battleships participated, including from US, Italy, Spain, Greece and Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers HMS Dragon, And the French land and air force. Participants were divided into two enemy camps and conducted a six-day real-time “battle” under the control of Charles de Gaulle.
On one occasion, satellite communications were interrupted for 24 hours, causing the troops to operate in what the officer called the “fog of war.” “This is a return to the 1980s,” said an official in charge of coordinating flights. “We don’t know where the enemy is.”
All crew members were ordered to turn off their mobile phones to avoid being tracked. Officials said that if a single sailor misconfigured one of their apps, they could track a ship. “Today, even the tactical level of warfare has become completely complex. The digital traces we leave are tools for combatants,” Van Dier said.
Fighter pilot Emerland said that the 16-day exercise was very intense. The two jet squadrons repeatedly worked overtime without notice, as they will conduct simulation missions in real combat to rescue a ejected fighter pilot from enemy territory.
He said: “This is a large-scale, long-term unique exercise.” “In addition to testing our own capabilities, it also conveys a message about what we and our allies can do. It allows us to see that we are capable of Enemies that are as equipped or better equipped as us react.”
Charles de Gaulle and the British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth also participated in the Gaul strike exercise in the western Mediterranean in June, demonstrating how the two navies cooperate.
Abbott of the National Naval Detachment detachment at Toulon Naval Base said that Polaris has tested the French Navy’s “plug and play” capabilities, which means it can integrate non-French troops into the national deployment.
“The whole purpose of this exercise is to focus on combat under high-intensity situations, testing the ability of French and Allied forces to respond to unpredictable and different threats in an agile manner. We understand that ships like HMS Dragon can be integrated. This is a Very useful training opportunity,” he said.
“It’s about fighting on water, water and underwater. Royal Navy and Marine Nationale are similar in many respects, including scale and how we operate. France is unlikely to be involved, while the UK will not.”
