Franco-British Paratroopers Conduct Joint Drills in France for Potential Ukraine Peacekeeping Mission

Joint Drills Conclude in Brittany

British and French paratroopers have completed joint exercises in Brittany, France, as part of Exercise Orion, rehearsing for a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. The drills, which included over 600 British troops from the 16th Air Assault Brigade and soldiers from France's 11th Parachute Brigade, took place on February 24 and are part of a nine-day exercise scheduled to run through March 3. The training coincided with the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The exercises involved approximately 2,000 British and French soldiers in total, practicing critical airborne operations. Troops from Italy's Folgore Parachute Brigade and British soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, also participated. The operations were overseen by a French command structure based at Orléans-Bricy Air Base near Paris.

Training Objectives and Scenarios

The primary objective of these joint drills was to prepare for a possible peacekeeping deployment to Ukraine, specifically rehearsing airborne landings and combat scenarios that might arise following a ceasefire with Russia. The paratroopers engaged in a range of activities designed to enhance their rapid-response capabilities, including:

• Parachute drops and securing landing zones
• Establishing defensive positions
• Repelling simulated enemy attacks
• Conducting ambush operations
• Neutralizing mock air defense systems

French forces commander Gen. Renaud Rondet emphasized the importance of such drills for testing new structures, equipment, communications networks, and drone integration, allowing units to adapt quickly on the battlefield. The UK Ministry of Defence stated that the training aimed to prepare troops 'for the realities of 21st-century conflict,' focusing on speed, endurance, and autonomy.

Context of a Potential Ukraine Deployment

The exercises follow statements from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, who have indicated their nations' readiness to lead a peacekeeping force in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement be reached between Kyiv and Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that approximately 5,000 troops from each country could participate in such a mission.

However, concerns have been raised regarding the UK's capacity to deploy 5,000 troops, given that the British Army's personnel numbers have reportedly fallen to around 70,000, its smallest size in over 200 years. Experts suggest that fulfilling such a commitment might necessitate redeploying forces currently stationed in locations like Estonia and Cyprus.

Broader Exercise Orion Framework

The paratrooper drills are part of the larger Exercise Orion, which is described as France's most extensive military exercise since the Cold War. This comprehensive exercise involves 12,500 troops, 25 ships, and 140 aircraft from France and 24 partner nations. Exercise Orion is a triennial cycle designed to reinforce the operational readiness of joint forces and is based on a NATO-developed scenario to address various phases of modern conflict.