Nato allies parachute, sail and fly into largest French exercise in decades

Nato allies have taken part in the largest French military exercise for decades, with personnel from all domains participating in Exercise Orion.

Troops parachuted into the exercise alongside all the kit they would need for a large-scale, modern conflict.

French Joint Command has reacted to the war in Ukraine with drills of almost unprecedented scale –  with 12,000 personnel involved in Exercise Orion from across Nato.

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Seven hundred personnel and their kit parachuted into Castres, and Captain Thibault, 8E Regiment de Parachutistes D'infanterie De Marine, French Navy, said air transport allows personnel to "strike fast, hard and far".

"It is a unique combat tool for the French Army, allowing us to free ourselves from spatial constraints and strike behind enemy lines," he said.

The exercise sees personnel from across land, sea, air and cyberspace hone their skills.

Seven hundred amphibious troops disembarked on landing craft, alongside armoured vehicles, in the coastal town of Sète.

The second phase of the exercise features 7,000 personnel, including British and US forces, exercising across sea, air, land and cyberspace domains.