Celtic Uprise 2023 exercise focuses on CaMo strategic partnership between Belgium and France.

From Monday, November 13 to Friday, November 23, 2023, the Belgian Motorized Brigade conducted a large-scale exercise named Celtic Uprise 2023, spanning the Netherlands and Belgium. It brought together approximately 900 military personnel (including 700 in active deployment), 150 vehicles, primarily from the Motorized Brigade, and 200 French soldiers from the 152nd infantry regiment of Colmar and 19th Engineering regiment of Besançon.
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Regrouping of participants of the Belgian Motorized Brigade after an operation in the framework of Celtic Uprise 2023 in Leopoldsburg (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The exercise encompassed various deployment methods, including patrols, security operations, attacks, escorts, anti-terrorist maneuvers, and medical evacuations. One of its key objectives was to test and strengthen cooperation between Belgian and French ground forces within the framework of the Motorized Capacity  (Capacité Motorisée, CaMo) project. Initially, military personnel were deployed in Oirschot, the Netherlands, before carrying out operations in the provinces of Antwerp (Oud-Turnhout region) and Limburg (Leopoldsburg region).

As noted on the Belgian website A l'Avant-Garde, the Land Component and the Motorized Brigade organized the first exercise of the Belgian-French strategic partnership under the CaMo contract in September 2019. Named Celtic Uprise, this exercise brought together over 1,000 Belgian and French military personnel in the provinces of Namur and Hainaut. Originally planned to be an annual event, the COVID-19 crisis disrupted its execution in 2020. In 2021, the Motorized Brigade conducted the second edition of Celtic Uprise, but the French did not participate. In 2022, French military personnel joined the third edition of the Celtic Uprise exercise, which brought together over 1,000 Belgian and French military personnel. The Belgian units involved were from the Motorized Brigade, while the French contingent consisted of approximately 250 soldiers from the 152nd Infantry Regiment in Colmar, who had previously participated in the first edition.

Members of the French 150th Infantry Regiment with their VBCI at Celtic Uprise 2023 in Leopoldsburg (Picture source: Army Recognition)

As part of the CaMo strategic partnership between Belgium and France, it was agreed that the bi-national Celtic Uprise exercise would be held annually. This exercise serves as a precursor to the establishment of a Belgian Specialized Training Center focused on "NATO Stability Operations," where bi-national tactical subgroups (SGTIA) and bi-national tactical groups (GTIA) can undergo certification.

Member of the Belgian Motorized Brigade with a Lynx LMV during Celtic Uprise 2023 in Leopoldsburg (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Defense News November 2023