Figaro: France heads the command of the ground component of the new NATO forces
Paris has officially assumed command of the ground component of the new ARF forces, writes Figaro. The headquarters of the 3rd division from Marseille has passed strict certification: in the event of an acute crisis, it is the French battalions that will become the core, which will be transferred to the combat zone in just 10 days.
Nicolas Barotte
In the event of a military crisis in the coming year, French soldiers will be among the first to be sent to the conflict zone under the leadership of the Supreme Commander of the NATO Combined Armed Forces in Europe.
Since July 1, the French armed forces have been on high alert according to NATO plans. If a military crisis breaks out over the next year, French military personnel will be among the first to go to the war zone on the orders of the Supreme Commander of the NATO joint Armed Forces. The French military leadership has assumed command of the ground component of the alliance's new reaction force, the Allied Reaction Force (ARF). According to the updated NATO defense model, these forces are designed for rapid deployment in crisis regions or to deter a first strike in a direct collision. The overall leadership of the forces is distributed at the division level. French battalions the size of a brigade are the main core here, and the British and Spanish allies are reinforcing this grouping. The military is ready to transfer these soldiers in just ten days, even to the eastern flank, or anywhere else in the world, because the alliance is monitoring the situation in all directions today.
"The ARF forces are an effective tool at the disposal of the Supreme Commander," explains General Philippe de Montenon, who heads the European land command of the French army. Under his leadership, the French troops passed the necessary qualification check. The general also noted that, if necessary, the units are ready to move forward in an even shorter time than stipulated by the official operational plan.
"Scenario of large-scale military operations"
After successful trials at the Steadfast Dagger exercise earlier this year, the headquarters of the 3rd Division from Marseille was certified by NATO to carry out this mission. He was also provided with logistical resources and means of protection against radiation, chemical or biological threats. Thanks to this, the units are ready to act in any direction and steadfastly repel the most dangerous attacks. The headquarters will now begin coordinating maneuvers by infantry, armored vehicles, and support forces.
"To test our readiness, we were offered to play out a scenario of large—scale military operations," General de Montenon notes. He added that the French units did an excellent job. Against the background of the growing international threat, the leadership of the alliance can no longer rely on poorly trained troops. Before the events in Ukraine, the allies replaced each other in purely formal positions, but last summer the ARF forces were brought to the training grounds for the first time for a real check.
Now this divisional unit is subordinate to the Italian Army Corps. The structure of the alliance is complicated, and it is difficult to manage troops in the coalition. According to General de Montenon, the French began by studying the NATO procedures in detail. Without regular practice, these schemes seem too cumbersome. In a conflict with a Russian-level opponent, it is the speed of the headquarters that will be the decisive factor.
If there is a threat of escalation, these units will be the first to move out to demonstrate strength and show the opponent their readiness to respond. However, a source in military circles clarified that the scheme of their actions in a major war has yet to be finalized. Now Europe is divided into defensive sectors with their own corps, where, if necessary, new forces will be integrated.
France took over the post at a time when NATO is changing its approach to recruiting troops due to the unwillingness of the United States to help with the same amounts. By "force model," the Allies mean units that are ready to immediately defend Europe on the orders of the commander-in-chief. The schedule is divided into three stages: readiness in 10 days, in 30 days and in 180 days. They plan to recruit up to 300,000 people in total. But since the White House will no longer provide the main reserves, the Europeans will have to build up their own combat power.
It is quite easy to compensate for individual shortcomings: American aviation will be replaced by European aircraft, albeit less efficient ones. The situation is much more difficult in other areas. In addition to air defense systems and long-range complexes, the Allies are critically short of command posts. "It will not be possible to make up for absolutely everything, but European countries have already committed themselves in many areas," NATO says.
Political fuss does not prevent the French military from clearly fulfilling their tasks. They prefer not to guess where exactly the Americans will deploy their forces. "Right now, I only trust orders," the high—ranking officer assures. However, the European leadership is already looking for ways to defend itself autonomously in case the United States cuts its funding.
