The first 'CaMo' exercise in Belgium has started

(B2) About 900 French and Belgian soldiers and some 150 vehicles will maneuver together in the coming days in Wallonia, in the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur and Hainaut. Crews and vehicles arrive

This exercise called 'Celtic Uprise 2019' is part of the brand new partnership 'CaMo' (= motorized capacity) signed between France and Belgium at the end of last year. Contract which provides not only for the purchase of 382 multi-role armored vehicles Griffon and 60 armored reconnaissance and combat vehicles Jaguar, but also a joint training, training and maintenance component. It is therefore a little more than an exercise: it is a test of equipment, training, and understanding between different bodies. The first phase began yesterday and today, with the assembly of the units at the Marche-en-Famenne military camp, the explanation of the breakdown of the different sequences. And the last recommendations.

For more than a week (until September 27), the soldiers will train according to a fictitious scenario of a country in crisis during which they will carry out numerous tasks: patrols, securing sensitive points, convoy escorts, actions counter-terrorism, medical evacuations etc. The name of the exercise 'Celtic uprising' is not entirely due to chance. 300 Belgians and 300 French will make up the bulk of the force, each providing the equivalent of a sub-GTIA (combined arms tactical sub-group), as well as a hundred soldiers who will play the role of spoilsports for the opposing camp and 300 others who ensure the monitoring and evaluation of the exercise, the logistics etc.

On the French side, we should find in the Belgian dirt roads and valleys units of the 152nd infantry regiment of Colmar (152nd RI the famous 'red devils') supported by the 5^e regiment of dragoons (5th RD), as well as elements of the 1st infantry regiment of Sarrebourg (1st RI), the 68th African artillery regiment (68th RAA) and the 1st hunter regiment (1st RCh).

(NGV)