British and French soldiers have taken part in joint training in France aimed at improving interoperability and demonstrating readiness to defend NATO territory, the Ministry of Defence stated.
Around 120 personnel from 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (1 LANCS) are currently training alongside France’s 152nd Infantry Regiment as part of the UK’s contribution to NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) Strategic Reserve. The unit is held at high readiness to deploy rapidly in support of frontline forces should a crisis develop on NATO’s eastern flank.
The deployment has seen troops from Burma Company and supporting elements train at the French Army’s CENZUB urban warfare facility, located northeast of Paris. The site covers approximately 46 square miles and is designed to replicate combat operations in realistic urban environments.
Major Lance Morris, Officer Commanding Burma Company, 1 LANCS, said: “NATO partnership and working together is what makes us stronger. Our French partners are absolutely critical to that.”
He added: “This exercise demonstrates just how lethal the fighting spirit of our soldiers is. Here in France, working alongside the French Army, using French weapons systems, employing French tactics and doctrine, as well as the French language, this is the flexibility at the heart of everything that our fighting soldiers do.”
Second Lieutenant Ed Stapeley, also of Burma Company, said the exercise provided an opportunity to learn from French approaches to tactics and tempo.
He said: “It’s been interesting. The French prioritise speed and aggression. They have more manpower on this exercise, so we have to be more methodical.”
He added: “On the defensive exercise today, with ‘enemy’ coming from lots of different directions, we had to give ground, then take ground.”
Stapeley also said: “They are really willing to communicate with us and help us learn. The training estate is amazing, and it’s really helped us improve our fighting skills.”
The Ministry of Defence said 1 LANCS also has around 200 troops currently deployed to Estonia undertaking extreme cold weather training. The battalion is also continuing training in air and land drone systems, battlefield data mapping systems, and anti-tank weapons.
