Between 7,000 and 12,000 troops are taking part in the exercise, which is scheduled to run from mid-February to March 11.
Elements of the French army today continued the Orion 23 exercise involving thousands of soldiers accompanied by aircraft and ships, an unusual mobilization with various simulated war scenarios.
The French press and social networks reflect the landing of hundreds of paratroopers this Saturday in the southern city of Castres, in the Tarn department, with the mission to counteract the destabilization of a country called “Arnland” by militias supported by a powerful neighboring state with the name “Mercure”.
Between 7,000 and 12,000 troops are taking part in the drill, which is scheduled to run from mid-February to March 11 and which it says was previously planned, according to sources including Le Parisien newspaper and broadcaster TF1, who describe the maneuvers as gigantic and unprecedented Outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine.
For its part, the BFM TV channel reported that 14 French departments are hosting the maneuvers, including naval operations in the Mediterranean involving about 30 ships, including the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and two helicopter carriers, as well as fighter jets.
Taking to Twitter, the Air and Space Navy shared images of Mirage 2000D and Rafale planes and said a dozen of them conducted an airstrike to neutralize an enemy training base.
The exercise takes place in a tense context in Europe, due to the conflict in Ukraine and increasing military support from Western powers, including France, to Kiev, which is calling for more powerful and longer-range weapons, despite warnings from Russia that it will Only complicate scenario and drive away the options for peace.
