This weekend, France launched Orion 26, its largest military exercise since the Cold War. The exercise should mobilize around 12,500 soldiers in training that should last three months. According to the French press, it serves as preparation for high-intensity war scenarios in Europe.
The exercise takes place amid the worsening security environment in Europe and against the backdrop of the threat posed by Russia, according to French officials.
According to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, the exercise involves 25 ships – including the nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle -, around 140 aircraft, more than a thousand drones and forces from 24 allied countries. The aim is to test the responsiveness of the French Armed Forces and international partners in “complex, contested and multi-domain” environments, including land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. The size of the forces deployed is larger than any other military exercise conducted by France since the end of the Cold War.
According to the published schedule, the first phase of the exercise includes amphibious landings and air operations in western France, with simulated counterattacks, river crossings and the use of real fire. From April onwards, the training will begin to operate under the command of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with the aim of evaluating operations between European and allied armies.
According to French military authorities, cited by the European press, the exercise also seeks to test logistics chains, command and control systems and France’s ability to lead a multinational coalition in an eventual large-scale conflict.
