French army Leclerc MBTs train in Romania during exercise Eagle Fulger.

From July 24 to 29, the Leclerc tank squadron of the multinational battalion conducted the Eagle Fulger exercise at the Cincu camp, in Romania. It was supported by French and Portuguese infantry sections and supplemented by Romanian elements. The objective was to carry out the first Leclerc firings of the Aigle 5 mandate and to work on combined arms and combined interoperability. The French Army GHQ reports.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

French Leclerc tank firing in the framework of exercise Eagle Fulger in Romania (Picture source: French army GHQ)

The exercise began with a reconnaissance of the area and the installation of the elements necessary for driving. The live fire maneuver initially consisted of an infiltration phase by the Portuguese, Romanian and French infantry sections. They were in charge of informing the squadron about the enemy situation. After several radio exchanges, a contact is announced, allowing the unit commander of the squadron to give the order to start firing. The Leclerc tanks then positioned themselves in support of the infantry sections, based on the intelligence elements provided by the allies. The enemy attacked in force. The objective was locked by the tank commanders, before firing the four guns aimed at destroying the adversary.

This firing maneuver exercise allowed the French troops to work on their tactical and technical know-how by integrating the Allied elements at the heart of the system. These movements make it possible to test the level of interoperability between the units, to identify the strong points and the axes of work to perfect the inter-allied device present in Romania. This sequence illustrates the commitment and capacity of the French armies to strengthen the deterrent and defensive posture of NATO on the eastern flank of Europe.

In response to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, France organized, on short notice, the deployment of the Aigle (Eagle) mission in Romania, confirming its status as a reliable and credible ally within the Alliance. It is made up of a Collective Defense Battle Group (CDBG) of which France is the framework nation, an Air Mamba detachment (air defense) and a national support element. The CDBG has reliable capabilities, coordinated by a forerunner of a combined arms brigade headquarters (BFCE). The Eagle mission also includes a defense management center in the 3rd dimension as well as a squadron of Leclerc tanks. All of these combined arms assets contribute to strengthening NATO's deterrent and defensive posture on the eastern flank.

Defense News August 2023