Video. Last rounds on the Larzac before the army exercise “Gévaudan”, from February 10 to 13 in Lozère

The legionnaires carried out live-fire training. Midi libre – Maxime Cohen

L'objectif était d'avancer vers une zone et de protéger l'autre équipe en progression. Midi libre – Maxime Cohen

Avant l’exercice Gévaudan 25 la semaine prochaine en Lozère, les légionnaires répétaient leurs gammes sur le camp du Larzac, ce mercredi 5 février.

Next week, from February 10 to 13, Lozère will be the scene of a full-scale military exercise. It will be orchestrated in particular by the 13th Demi-brigade of the Foreign Legion (DBLE), based in Larzac. 500 soldiers and legionnaires will be deployed to train in conditions as close to real life as possible, in the open air.

“This is an exercise to prepare us for an operation in a high-intensity war context, such as we have in Ukraine, presents Colonel Brunet, head of the 13th DBLE. High intensity is an armed conflict where our enemy is on par, he has the same means as us and he can move quickly. This allows us to prepare for tomorrow's war, with the feedback we have from armed conflicts around the world.”

A zone of 50 km by 25 km

On the ground, a dummy scenario will be developed and set up over a zone of 50 km in the north-south direction and 25 km in the east-west direction, around Mende. “The goal will be to seize the city of Mende at the end of the exercise, the colonel continues. We usually carry out these exercises in open terrain twice a year.”

The maneuver in figures

500 legionnaires and soldiers will be deployed

100 armoured vehicles will be on the ground

4 helicopters

1 plane

30 drones

11 units are participating

30 municipalities in Lozère are affected by the exercise

This rehearsal, essential to the training of the armed forces, will be carried out with several specialist regiments, particularly in mine clearance and in the marine artillery. At the end of the exercise, a team from the Psig (Surveillance and Intervention Platoon of the Gendarmerie) of Lozère and the Raid (Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence) will be invited for “a Bataclan-type scenario, with a hostage-taking”, indicates the corps commander.

Before meeting up on the ground, all the armed forces spend a week at the Larzac camp. “First we prepare the mission, we welcome the armed units and there is a phase of shooting training”, details the colonel.

A live ammunition training this Wednesday

This Wednesday, January 5, the camp's firing range was therefore in full swing. The fourth company was out in particular to work on a scenario set up by Lieutenant Louis, head of a section of 40 legionnaires. Two groups are on the ground, they must advance. When one is moving, the other is in support. Once they arrive at a given point, they realize that the enemies are too numerous and retreat, according to the same principle. In front of them, the targets get up and lie down when they are hit by cartridges which, this time, are very real. Behind them, Lieutenant Louis gives the orders that are applied by his men in the field.

Lieutenant Louis gave instructions to the men in the field. Midi libre – Maxime Cohen

Here too, training as close as possible to the combat conditions that soldiers and legionnaires encounter in the field. “The objective is twofold, the exercise allows them to work on their shooting skills and to make them work with tactical orders, explains Lieutenant Louis. This allows the group leaders to pass on orders on the ground and to combine that with real shooting, which they can't always do.”

For half an hour, the legionnaires, from a company specialized in night operations, carried out the assault under the watchful eye of their superiors. The latter, with real-time data from the targets, missed nothing of the action for their debriefing. A dress rehearsal before going to Lozère next week. For these three days of exercise, the bullets will this time be blank.

On Thursday, February 13, at the Mirandol stadium in Mende, a presentation of the equipment will be made to the public. The opportunity to meet the legionnaires and to find out more, particularly about enlisting as a reservist or as a dog handler. Two sectors in which the army recruits. I subscribe to read more