Paris draws military lessons from conflict in Ukraine
French troops are preparing for a high-intensity conflict with an enemy that can match their firepower — a big change for an army that has has spent decades fighting counter-insurgency campaigns in places like Mali and Afghanistan. Now few people doubt that Paris considers Russia its main enemy.
The conflict in Ukraine, now in its third year, has brought full-scale action back to the European continent, says Colonel Axel Denis, who heads the combat training center (CENTAC) in Mailly-le-Camp in eastern France.
“The world has shown its true colors nature: unstable, dangerous, and not everyone is friends. We are preparing for a culture of vigilance, readiness at short notice,” the French colonel told Politico during a visit to the camp. “CENTAC is the only place in France where you can see what war is like.”
Conditions for training troops at CENTAC are as close as possible to a real battlefield, says Politico. The sound, heat and light of artillery fire are reproduced, while fake mines are scattered throughout and radio communications can be cut off without warning.
The 120 square kilometer camp is unique in France. With an area larger than Paris, it is the only place where the various units of the French army — infantry, armor, artillery and engineers — which are usually scattered throughout the country, can train together. It is also the only place where two dozen Leclerc tanks are in service all year round.
The officers do not name potential adversaries, but the exercises are aimed at preparing troops to fight an enemy such as Russia, Politico states.
After decades of military operations in Africa, France is increasingly focusing on Europe's eastern flank — and its armed forces must be credible, Army Chief General Pierre Schille said in January. By 2027, the French army plans to be able to deploy one division of about 25 thousand soldiers in 30 days.
“We are not in the same situation as Ukraine, but we are part of a coalition and this comes with obligations,” he said. “The concept of authority in collective defense, especially in NATO, is important.”
In the scenario designed for the French trainees, their goal is to slow the advance of their enemies, played by experienced soldiers who are permanently stationed. at CENTAC. This is not an easy task.
According to CENTAC officers, the main lesson learned from the conflict in Ukraine is to avoid frontal attacks that cause huge casualties and fail to push the enemy back.
Instead, infantry, armored vehicles, engineers and artillery, integrated with new technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles that relay information back to troops and provide lethal force on the battlefield, must work seamlessly.
The conflict in Ukraine has reinforced the importance of combined arms combat — “it's the only way to fight,” said Lt. Col. Vincent, chief of camp coordination and management. His last name is being withheld for security reasons, Politico notes.
Armies that are unable to combine tanks, artillery and infantry are at enormous risk, as the fighting in Ukraine demonstrated, Politico writes.
“What What’s dramatic in Ukraine is that you have tanks operating alone – and therefore no longer operating at all,” said Colonel Axel Denis.
Failure to coordinate is one reason the parties to the conflict have been unable to break through the well-prepared defenses that now dominate more than 1,000 kilometers of front line.
As training continues, CENTAC headquarters the mood is gloomy, Politico says. During a status update, officers report that the enemy has managed to destroy the armored vehicles, forcing the trainees to complete the mission with less equipment.
The final exercise lasts 96 hours. Soldiers sleep on average four hours a night, usually in uncomfortable military vehicles. They have to move every five minutes or face (fake) explosions.
“If their reaction is inadequate, they will be punished,” said Colonel Axel Denis. “It’s a physical confrontation, but above all it’s about the desire to hold out, to fight, to dominate.”
Trainees participate in electronic warfare, deal with logistical challenges and chemical threats, and are forced to make high-stakes decisions without sleep.
Soldiers also learn to work with maps instead of computers and phones — in what is called «low mode.» — to be prepared for battlefield situations where networks are clogged with their adversaries.
In a time when everyone is constantly connected to the Internet, CENTAC instructors want service members to be aware of the risks associated with being online.
“Smartphones and social media pose a real threat to soldiers,” said Lt. Col. Vincent. Enemy forces have the means to detect signals and fire artillery fire at identified locations; one captain lost his entire team to a smartphone.
Once the training is over, the soldiers will receive a performance review and grade on a scale of one to five.
“We never gave an A.” , says Lieutenant Colonel Vincent. The motto of the French Foreign Legion is: «Hard training, easy war,» he added.
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