“It is a demonstration of our know-how and our credibility”, affirms a colonel in charge of the command

“It is a demonstration of our know-how and the credibility of our staffs”, assures Colonel Yann, guest of franceinfo on Sunday February 26. The officer of mark of phase 2 of ORION at the command for joint operations, explained what consisted of the exercise of the French army carried out until March 11th. A simulation of an intervention in a country, with 7,000 soldiers mobilized on open ground. “He is there to show our excellence, our ability to organize a large-scale exercise on national territory that reflects the reality of operations”, continues the soldier.

>> IN PICTURES. Exercise Hemex-Orion23: the great military landing in Frontignan and Sète

This exercise was imagined in 2021, well before the start of the war in Ukraine. It follows “the deterioration of international relations, to conflict in all fields and environments” with “physical and immaterial confrontations”. The war did not change the exercise program and “only confirmed the analysis that had been made by the Chief of Staff”.

“We take into account what is happening in Ukraine to analyze it and draw feedback from it.”

Colonel Yann

on franceinfo

This is the first time in 20 years that France has conducted such an exercise, “of rare complexity”. Meanwhile, the threats have evolved. “It is a first for the French armies to have wanted to work in all environments and fields, physical environments, but also immaterial, such as cyber, information, the electromagnetic field”, he says. The soldiers are therefore confronted with “these new fields of conflict” as part of this exercise.