NATO MUltimedia

French Marines and armour joined other units from NATO’s eFP Battlegroup Estonia for a live-fire exercise in Latvia.

French Marines and armour are currently serving with NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Estonia.

A combined arms element of roughly 300 troops, including Leclerc battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles have been part of the British-led Battlegroup since May. On 10 September 2019, they trained alongside British tanks in Ādaži, Latvia as part of Exercise Furious Hawk.

Footage includes shots of French Marines practising mechanised infantry manoeuvres; Leclerc tanks during live-fire drills, and Marine snipers practising marksmanship.

Interviews with French Captain Valentin and French Lieutenant Marc (surnames withheld for operational security, per French Armed Forces policy).

(00:00)

1. (00:00) VARIOUS SHOTS – FRENCH INFANTRY ENGINEERS CONDUCT CONTROLLED EXPLOSION AT ADAZI TRAINING BASE IN LATVIA
2. (00:38) WIDE SHOT - FRENCH MARINES DISEMBARK FROM VEHICLE
3. (00:44) VARIOUS SHOTS - FRENCH MARINES LIVE-FIRE WEAPONS TRAINING EXERCISE
4. (01:14) VARIOUS SHOTS – FRENCH SOLDIERS CARRY TRAINING ROUNDS TO LECLERC TANK
5. (01:27) VARIOUS SHOT - FRENCH TANKS PREPARE FOR LIVE-FIRE TRAINING EXERCISE
6. (01:40) VARIOUS SHOTS – LECLERC TANKS DRIVING TOWARDS FIRING RANGE
7. (01:55) VARIOUS SHOTS – LECLERC TANKS FIRING DURING LIVE-FIRE EXERCISE
8. (02:15) VARIOUS WIDE SHOTS – LECLERC TANKS DRIVE BACK FROM FIRING RANGE
9. (02:26) VARIOUS SHOTS – FRENCH MARINES PRACTISE MECHANISED INFANTRY MANOEUVRES
10. (02:44) VARIOUS SHOTS – FRENCH SNIPERS FROM EFP BATTLEGROUP PRACTISE FIRING ON A RANGE
11. (03:39) SOUNDBITE (FRENCH) – CAPTAIN VALENTIN, 2ND MARINE REGIMENT

“Our French contingent within the British battlegroup that we belong to, consists of four Leclerc tanks, three infantry platoons and an engineering platoon – for around 200 personnel – and is supported by a logistics element of around 100 personnel.”

1. (03:59) SOUNDBITE (FRENCH) – CAPTAIN VALENTIN, 2ND MARINE REGIMENT

“So especially here, deployment in the Baltic countries – whether in Estonia or benefiting from training in Latvia – enables us to work with very large assets in particular. And also to train in an Allied environment with the British and Estonians and to test continuously our interoperability. And of course to build relations, which is also a very important part of our work.”

1. (04:30) SOUNDBITE (FRENCH) – CAPTAIN VALENTIN, 2ND MARINE REGIMENT, FRENCH ARMY

“Since we started here in Latvia, it is the best part of our deployment because we can really train at full company level. Our terrain compartments are actually quite big and I can train all my troops on them at once. That’s why I really like that part.”

1. (04:45) SOUNDBITE (FRENCH) – LIEUTENANT MARC, FRENCH ARMY

“So, here we have just conducted technical firing manoeuvres. Technical firing, tactical firing manoeuvres with our British friends. The goal here is to work together, because when we work together we are stronger.”
END