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)

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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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]

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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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/)

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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Read more about the article France and Germany Towards Security and Defence Integration: Same Goal, Different Approaches
https://stock.adobe.com/it/Library/urn:aaid:sc:eu:55babda0-25b2-4ead-8ad2-0a594af82667?asset_id=175974920

France and Germany Towards Security and Defence Integration: Same Goal, Different Approaches

The idea of a collective European security and defence architecture first arose from the ashes of World War II and was driven by the Cold War. The forerunner of the European Union, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), was primarily designed to pacify France and Germany, and virtually make war between the two major European powers impossible by tying them economically (Vandersmissen 2018, 16-17). Politically, however, they had different ideas on how such a community might cover security concerns. The very issue of the remilitarisation of West Germany hindered the creation of a European Defence Community (EDC). Ultimately, the project was struck down by the French National Assembly in 1954 to retain sovereignty over France’s armed forces (Trybus 2016). The ratification of the Treaty of Brussels that same year solved the issue by creating the Western European Union (WEU), and approving the creation of the Bundeswehr, which was envisioned as a self-defence force, dependent upon allied support for any meaningful military operation. Indeed, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation enjoyed exclusive competence over the defence of Europe for most of the remaining years of the 20th century (Vandersmissen 2018, 30; and Trybus 2016). But while Germany seemed satisfied with such an accommodation, France grew increasingly suspicious of American political and military influence over the continent. It left the Organisation’s military command and, in 1966, asked NATO and US troops to leave its soil. It wasn’t until 2009 that France re-joined the security framework (Gjevori 2019).

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Read more about the article Enhancing European Military Potential Through Interoperability: Opportunities and Perspectives for the Franco-German Eurotank
KNDS

Enhancing European Military Potential Through Interoperability: Opportunities and Perspectives for the Franco-German Eurotank

In light of current poor cooperation, inadequate upgrade programmes and insufficient investments in European armament capacities, the development of a new generation Main Battle Tank (MBT) is particularly awaited, as it could heavily stimulate defence integration and military interoperability in Europe. Over the past decades and in the context of emerging hybrid threats, European land forces suffered from an increased deterioration of their equipment and capabilities. Priority was and is still given to advanced hybrid weapons technology. While these technologies are crucial in the new war theatres of cyber and space, conventional forms of military deterrence shouldn’t be overlooked as they remain one of the most effective and integrated military capabilities in Europe (Sabatino, 2020).

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