Read more about the article The End of the Operation Barkhane, New Perspectives on the Territory
French soldiers during the Operation Barkhane (Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opération_Barkhane.jpg)
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The End of the Operation Barkhane, New Perspectives on the Territory

On 10 June, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the withdrawal of the French forces from the Sahel region. Operation Barkhane started back in August 2014 after Operation Serval, which was deployed to support the Malian government in 2013. Operation Barkhane was based on the partnership between France and the countries of the Sahel G5, namely Burkina-Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, to address the rising presence of Islamist terrorism in the territory. The main strategy was to give the possibility and the means to the Sahel G5 countries to develop both national and regional strategies to fight terrorism autonomously (Ministère des Armées, 2019). The French approach was based not only on security in a strict way but also on politics and development in a broader sense.

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29 June 2021
Read more about the article EU in Talks to Develop First Entry Force
Belgian soldier during Rampant Lion, EU Battlegroup 2014 II exercise in Grafenwoehr, Germany, Markus Rauchenberger, February 26, 2014 (Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Belgian_soldier_during_Rampant_Lion,_EU_Battlegroup_2014_II_exercise_in_Grafenwoehr,_Germany.jpg)
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EU in Talks to Develop First Entry Force

This year, the EU has faced many unforeseeable threats which have caused member states to reinforce their defence and security policies as well as the EU’s own defence systems. In turn, fourteen countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain) have joined together to propose a rapid military response team called First Entry Force. This proposal has been debated in the first in-person meeting of the year, by EU defence ministers (“EU moots creation”, 2021). Notably, the military response force would aid in de-escalating or preventing conflict in foreign democratic nations. The military team would also aid in tackling the EU’s gap of capabilities in early action. Indeed, the European Union Global Strategy has claimed that early warning holds no advantage if there is no early action (Shared vision, common action, 2017).

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24 June 2021
Read more about the article Eurotank is on its Way
The Franco-German joint venture KNDS displayed its new European Main Battle Tank at the June 2018 Eurosatory exhibit in Paris. [https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/7DnF2X2HKanY5TK19SVJODpm0pA=/1200x0/filters:quality(100)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/G7QXPXVEV5HPRA4YFUUQVZVAWI.jpg]
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Eurotank is on its Way

The benefits of a new Eurotank would be of great importance for the interoperability of European armies. A tank created by France and Germany (MGCS) would allow each involved to use it in joint operations.

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22 June 2021
Read more about the article OP²EX.ia, an Artificial Intelligence Project to Accelerate Mission Preparation
Chinook CH-47, Military_Material, July 26, 2017 (Source: https://pixabay.com/fr/photos/chinook-ch-47-l-aviation-de-l-arm%C3%A9e-2540215/)
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OP²EX.ia, an Artificial Intelligence Project to Accelerate Mission Preparation

The OP²EX.ia project is a “Tool for Mission Preparation and Preview of the Indoor Environment with Artificial Intelligence” (Outil de Préparation de mission et de Prévisualisation de l’Environnement eXtérieur grâce à l’Intelligence Artificielle). This tool aims to support the mission preparation process. When preparing for a land-based military operation, it may be necessary to analyse high-resolution satellite images and terrain topology. Extracting the relevant information may require the intervention of a lot of people. It is a time-consuming and tedious task, particularly because of the multiplication of actors, the density of the information, the means of obtaining this information, and the complexity of the mission. Time is also crucial as some missions may request flexibility and reactivity from special forces and commando groups.

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17 June 2021
Read more about the article The Shortage of Semi-Conductors and its Strategic Implications
Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/closed-up-photo-of-black-dell-central-processing-unit-1432680/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels
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The Shortage of Semi-Conductors and its Strategic Implications

Semiconductors have made news recently because of a shortage of microchips earlier this year. Though the causes of the semiconductors’ shortage are not due to a shortage of access to raw materials but rather because of the Covid-19 crisis and the ensuing fluctuating demand, the threats to EU strategic autonomy and the fragility of this market are explicit. Semiconductors have become a critical component in today’s globalised economy and armed forces as they are a vital component in any current electronic device. However, the dependence on Asia and, most notably, Taiwan has generated a significant response from world players such as the US, the EU, and China. Thus, even though it appears the shortage is temporary, it seems likely that such events will continue to occur in the absence of a more coherent and global strategy.

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15 June 2021