Mountain troops in training at Mount Tabor
(B2 in the Maurienne valley) Clouds, heavy, a very low ceiling preventing the flight of helicopters (*) rain, wind, ... In short, this morning, on "the great shooting range of the Alps" in the Rochilles - Mont Thabor area (near St Michel de Maurienne and Valloire), the weather was really... rotten, for the annual "Cerces" exercise scheduled to last until the weekend (from 21 to November 25).
Recreate the conditions of reality
It was not very cold or snowy—the ideal terrain for training mountain troops. But a real operational training ground with all that entails of bad weather and meteorological uncertainties. All the components of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (27th BIM) - the infantry, like the artillery, the cavalry (light vehicles) the engineers or the mountain commando group (1) - were there, however, at the rendezvous -YOU. Each with its own tradition: the hunters who left on foot the night before to climb into the night towards the firing zone, the mountain commandos infiltrated into the forest, the 120 mortars, the light VBLs, with air support from helicopters of ALAT and Mirages. History of " recreate the conditions of reality ».
A typical destabilization scenario
With only one regret, for all, that day, for lack of favorable weather, allowing the helicopters to fly over the area, no possible shooting for the mortars, to "play" all the sequences of the scenario. The basis of this one is quite classic. Tensions arise between two states. The republic of Serre-Ponçon must face the aggressiveness of neighboring Vichystan. A general took power there. Between the two republics, the tension is at its peak. An attack took place, as well as incursions... A fairly credible scenario of a classic situation of the troubles encountered today.
A Cercès exercise held, despite everything
Nearly 600 mountain soldiers have been engaged this year. This is a little less than the normal low water level for such an exercise. But it's much better than last year... Mountain troops — like a good part of the Army — are paying a heavy price for Operation Sentinel. This inevitably weighs on the normal life of the regiments, especially on training. No need to hide it.
In 2015, almost all of the mountain troops were engaged in internal security operations, some on several occasions. The average commitment, between 100 and 200 days, bears witness to this. That year, most training and exercises were canceled. In 2016, engagement in Sentinel declined. But the rhythm remained important » (between 40 to 120 days) sometimes leaving only a few days between the engagement in an external operation (OPEX) and Sentinel. " We recover little by little in training says an officer. Holding the exercise therefore holds “ of the challenge ". Even today, some units arrive directly from Chad or Niger, engaged in Barkhane. A passage from the usual hot to cold. " They are reacclimating "...
Dutch and Italians
Two foreign units joined the exercise: Dutch (a mortar 81 team and a JTAC, from 13 infantrybataljon) and Italians (a JTAC and their protection team) from the brigade Taurinense. One of the two Italian "mountain" brigades which is the "sister" brigade of the 27th BIM (2), located just on the other side of the Alpine slope. The general commanding the Italian brigade Massimo Biagini had also made the trip... just like the British general, Nick Nothingham, who is the number 2... of the first French division (from Besançon), on which the troops of mountain.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
(1) The exercise takes place in "open" terrain and not military terrain. Even if it is out of season, patrols have reconnoitred the terrain before, and fixed points have been placed several days before "hikers" have not ventured into the area, the exercise organizers can not do anything leave to chance. And a helicopter reconnaissance flight is necessary before any mortar fire.
(2) The 27th BIM includes: the 4th Chasseurs Regiment (4e Rch) from Gap, the 7th Alpine Chasseurs Battalion (7e BCA) from Varces, the 13th Alpine Chasseurs Battalion (13e BCA) from Chambéry, the 27th Alpine hunters (27th BCA) from Annecy, the 93rd mountain artillery regiment (93rd RAM) from Varces (Grenoble), the 2nd foreign engineering regiment (2nd REG) from Saint-Christol (Apt), the 27th mountain command and signals (27th CCTM), based in Varces, and the mountain commando group.
