BLACKEAGLE
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Frédéric Lert, Bordeaux - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
21 April 2015
France's deployment of Leclerc MBTs to Poland is designed to send a strong signal to Moscow as part of NATO reassurance measures in Eastern Europe. Source: F Lert
France has deployed an armoured task force to Poland for two months of training exercises with the Polish armed forces and other NATO allies as part of alliance reassurance measures in Eastern Europe.
The task force, the equivalent of a Sous groupement tactique Interarmées (SGTIA - joint services tactical subgroup), left France for Poland on 20 April.
The combined task force consists of 15 Leclerc main battle tanks (MBTs) from the 12ème Régiment de Cuirassiers, a platoon from the 16ème Bataillon de Chasseurs with four VBCI 8x8 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and a platoon from the 13ème Régiment du Génie with three VABs and one EBG armoured engineering vehicle.
The French detachment, comprising 300 soldiers, will be fully deployed to the Drwsko Pomorskie proving ground before the end of April. It will stay in Poland for two months, taking part in several tactical exercises with Polish and other countries' armoured forces (such as US and Canadian forces), including the 'Puma 15' exercise from 11-29 May.
This deployment comes six months after the strong British participation in the Anglo-Polish NATO exercise 'Black Eagle', which saw the participation of 1,300 British soldiers and 100 armoured vehicles, including Challenger 2 MBTs and Warrior IFVs.
According to French officials, the task force deployment is part of the NATO 'assurance policy' aimed at making allied countries in Eastern and Northern Europe feel secure in the face of Russia's intervention in Ukraine.
France has been actively expanding its presence in the region following the crisis: from 24 April to 1 September 2014 the French Air Force deployed initially four Rafale then four Mirage fighter aircraft to Poland's Malbork air base as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission.
The French Navy has also been increasingly patrolling in the Baltic Sea, while during November 2014 a French Navy Falcon 50 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) deployed to Gdynia to assist surveillance missions over the Baltic. As well, French Air Force Boeing E-3F Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft have been regularly flying surveillance missions in Polish and Romanian airspace. To date French E-3Fs have logged over 350 hours flown as part of such missions, averaging one flight a month.
France deploys Leclerc MBTs to Poland - IHS Jane's 360
21 April 2015
France's deployment of Leclerc MBTs to Poland is designed to send a strong signal to Moscow as part of NATO reassurance measures in Eastern Europe. Source: F Lert
France has deployed an armoured task force to Poland for two months of training exercises with the Polish armed forces and other NATO allies as part of alliance reassurance measures in Eastern Europe.
The task force, the equivalent of a Sous groupement tactique Interarmées (SGTIA - joint services tactical subgroup), left France for Poland on 20 April.
The combined task force consists of 15 Leclerc main battle tanks (MBTs) from the 12ème Régiment de Cuirassiers, a platoon from the 16ème Bataillon de Chasseurs with four VBCI 8x8 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and a platoon from the 13ème Régiment du Génie with three VABs and one EBG armoured engineering vehicle.
The French detachment, comprising 300 soldiers, will be fully deployed to the Drwsko Pomorskie proving ground before the end of April. It will stay in Poland for two months, taking part in several tactical exercises with Polish and other countries' armoured forces (such as US and Canadian forces), including the 'Puma 15' exercise from 11-29 May.
This deployment comes six months after the strong British participation in the Anglo-Polish NATO exercise 'Black Eagle', which saw the participation of 1,300 British soldiers and 100 armoured vehicles, including Challenger 2 MBTs and Warrior IFVs.
According to French officials, the task force deployment is part of the NATO 'assurance policy' aimed at making allied countries in Eastern and Northern Europe feel secure in the face of Russia's intervention in Ukraine.
France has been actively expanding its presence in the region following the crisis: from 24 April to 1 September 2014 the French Air Force deployed initially four Rafale then four Mirage fighter aircraft to Poland's Malbork air base as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission.
The French Navy has also been increasingly patrolling in the Baltic Sea, while during November 2014 a French Navy Falcon 50 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) deployed to Gdynia to assist surveillance missions over the Baltic. As well, French Air Force Boeing E-3F Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft have been regularly flying surveillance missions in Polish and Romanian airspace. To date French E-3Fs have logged over 350 hours flown as part of such missions, averaging one flight a month.
France deploys Leclerc MBTs to Poland - IHS Jane's 360
Putin is wrong if he thinks he can stand against NATO.
