France conducts naval training as tensions rise in Black and Red Seas

The French Navy is shifting its training focus from security operations to preparing for war against enemies who want to “destroy us,” said Rear Admiral Jacques Mallard, commander of the French carrier strike group.

When Mallard joined the French armed forces in the 1990s, the Navy's primary mission was to stop drug traffickers and combat illegal fishing. Training included practicing launching the Zodiac inflatable boat and apprehending criminals. Now, the training focuses on combat operations.

"Naval battles are becoming increasingly likely," Mallard said in an exclusive interview with Politico published on April 10.

“We are moving from a world where we had a fair amount of freedom to do as we pleased, to a world where we feel threatened more frequently… Now, we are training for different missions, especially high-intensity warfare.”

World - France trains for naval warfare as tensions rise in the Black Sea and Red Sea. — The flagship of the French Navy, the Charles de Gaulle, on February 1, 2022. Photo: USNI

France is the only EU country to operate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier – the Charles de Gaulle, which carries nuclear weapons. It is the flagship of a larger carrier strike group, which includes nuclear submarines, destroyers, and Rafale fighter jets.

The French carrier strike group is expected to begin its mission in the Mediterranean Sea in the coming days.

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict spilling over into the Black Sea, and Houthi rebels relentlessly attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea, Western navies must adapt to a new environment with “increasingly bold competitors,” Mallard said.

"That's when we need to become a little more aggressive, or at least, we need to be prepared to do so," the Rear Admiral added.

The sailors trained to fight against “the one who wants to destroy us. Not someone who wants to smuggle, not someone who wants to steal fish, not someone who wants to spy or observe us, but someone who wants to destroy us,” Mallard said.

In 2021, the French Navy began the new Polaris exercise, which simulates a naval battle. The idea is to put the crew and warships into free-form combat situations, “releasing all rules to develop the imagination of the sailors and warriors.”

"This is a bit riskier but very useful in eliminating tactical thinking," Mallard said. The French Navy will soon conduct Polaris-style exercises with the Italian fleet .

Minh Duc (According to Politico EU)

Source