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5 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Another brief but interesting article on the French intervention in Mali:

https://wavellroom.com/2017/11/30/the-french-intervention-in-mali-a-lesson-in-mission-command/

A valid link to the FT-05 quoted in the article : https://www.cdec.terre.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/4254/59862/file/FT_05.pdf

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Brings me back to my time at Warminster assisting with the CO's course. Half a dozen Brits in the syndicate and one French officer. He sized up and conceptually solved the problem in about 5 minutes and the solution was one that made everybody else look utterly pedestrian in how they had thought about the situation.

As you might conclude from the above, I have a lot of time for the French and particularly the way that they truly have an expeditionary mindset and can do operational/strategic agility, economy of force and influence to achieve effects in the parts of the world in which they have an interest.

Just a pi$$er that the Armee de Terre isn't in game.

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26 minutes ago, Combatintman said:

Brings me back to my time at Warminster assisting with the CO's course.

I was in Warminster from 74-75 (I think - I was a kid). My dad was on exchange with the Brits and we lived in the PMQs. We got to go through training check points for soldiers heading to Northern Ireland with the family car. We were too young, but older kids got to play act being upset at their fathers being arrested and cause chaos and mayhem for the soldiers to deal with. Dad had fun letting them know all the interesting compartments in our 74 Volvo that they missed checking.

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21 hours ago, IanL said:

I was in Warminster from 74-75 (I think - I was a kid). My dad was on exchange with the Brits and we lived in the PMQs. We got to go through training check points for soldiers heading to Northern Ireland with the family car. We were too young, but older kids got to play act being upset at their fathers being arrested and cause chaos and mayhem for the soldiers to deal with. Dad had fun letting them know all the interesting compartments in our 74 Volvo that they missed checking.

We missed each other then by a few miles - I was in Hong Kong at the time ;)

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@Combatintman a lecture on the French Operational decision making process, from page 19 : http://www.guerredefrance.fr/Documents/MEDO.pdf

A colorful flash card : http://www.itb.fr/docs/Memento_4.pdf

In bloody French obviously, I'll get back to you if I can find it in proper English.

It is taught in (civilian) management high schools.

Edited by CMFDR
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13 hours ago, CMFDR said:

@Combatintman a lecture on the French Operational decision making process, from page 19 : http://www.guerredefrance.fr/Documents/MEDO.pdf

A colorful flash card : http://www.itb.fr/docs/Memento_4.pdf

In bloody French obviously, I'll get back to you if I can find it in proper English.

It is taught in (civilian) management high schools.

Thanks mate - just read the flash card, I can get the gist of that from the combination of my knowledge of military decision making processes and my long-forgotten French.

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FR-EN French Infantry Magazine with insights, stories and pictures. What else?

Fantassins le magazine d'information de l'infanterie

For example, on with interviews of the main commanders in Mali : http://www.emd.terre.defense.gouv.fr/img/emd/fantassin/2013_n30_fantassins.pdf

Operation Serval features paradrops on Timbuktu to kick off extremists, ain't that exciting? ;)

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  • 1 year later...

That ISIS essentially escaped from the ME and has been franchising itself all over the place, esp Africa, has been downplayed for some time as it goes against the narrative that "we've won".   Could be real trouble brewing in Africa.  Esp where "our" African oil and raw resources are located.

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Don't worry, ISIS will soon encounter the Chinese.....I suspect that won't end well for them at all.  :D

China seems to be absolutely itching to kick somebody's teeth in, but I don't think it will be India or Taiwan just yet, those would both be a very big bite for their first taste of 21st century warfare! 

ISIS in Africa however would make a tasty little morsel for their expeditionary units to cut their teeth on before returning to pressing matters nearer to home.....Plus they've got the (very efficient) Russian model in Syria to base their planning on.

Edited by Sgt.Squarehead
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Northern Africa has been a mess ever since Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011. His armories were raided and all sorts of weapons would up in the wrong hands fueling insurgencies throughout the region. It is not going to end anytime soon since Libya is still a failed state, carved up by rival groups and Al-Qaida, Isis and other groups use it as a base of operation.

The French kicked ass in Mali in 2013, but the insurgency is still alive. Mali is supposed to be the most dangerous peacekeeping mission on earth. Canada was asked to send a peacekeeping mission there 2-3 years ago, but begged off because of the danger level.

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