
Politico writes that French troops are preparing for a high-intensity conflict in Europe against an enemy that can match their firepower.
Colonel Axel Denis said that the fighting in Ukraine has brought full-scale war back to Europe. He runs a combat training center in Mailly-le-Camp in eastern France. He added that France is preparing for a culture of vigilance as soon as possible.
The publication writes that the conditions for training troops in the combat training center are as close as possible to real battlefields. The sound, heat and light of artillery fire is produced, fake mines are scattered everywhere, and radio communications can be cut off without warning.
The 120 square kilometer camp is unique in France. Its area is larger than the size of Paris and it is the only place where the various units of the French army, namely infantry, armor, artillery and engineers, who are usually scattered throughout the country, can conduct joint exercises. It is also the only place where two dozen Leclerc tanks train all year round.
Officers are not naming potential enemies, but the exercise is aimed at preparing troops to fight an adversary such as Russia.