The chief of staff of the Army announced on Monday the establishment of a new organization in which the regiments of “melee” (tanks, infantry) will be reduced, in particular, in particular .
The Army should enter, in the coming years, in a vast transformation. This was announced on January 20, the head of state, during his wishes to the armies, and this is what the chief of staff of the army, General Pierre Schill, before the press, Monday, February 13. An announcement which is part of the work on the future military programming law (LPM), supposed to be presented in the Council of Ministers in the spring and plan the expenditure of 413 billion euros for the defense over the period 2024-2030 .
While many uncertainties remain on the actual budgetary declination of this LPM and the capacities it will give or not to the armies for the years to come, the army should in all cases engage in a deep reorganization. If the total number of regiments (around 80) will be preserved, some should undergo significant developments. The “melee” regiments (tanks, infantry) could be partly degraded, while those specialized in cyber and drones could be reinforced. “There will be no garrison dissolution,” said General Schill.
The stake aims to be triple for the army. Both go upmarket in a certain number of areas, in particular the fires in the depth (long -range artillery, drones, etc.) and cyber; be more reactive in the event of the need to deploy workforce as part of a high intensity conflict; And build your logistics. “We must return to a global coherence of the Army,” summed up General Schill, adding that the final presentation of this project would take place on April 4.
Behind this transformation plan, hides a real concern to restore the army of intervention capacities beyond its only expeditionary culture, which has generally ended with the end of the operation ” Barkhane “, in November 2022. Nothing guarantees, at this stage, that the future LPM allows it, due to the explosion of energy costs, materials, as well as multiple arbitrations still in progress, but the Display is there.
Two new commandments
To give the change, the army should have two new commandments: a devoted to the wars of tomorrow, and another relating to the hybrid war and special actions. Both will be hierarchically at the same level as the command of the land forces, which has the hand on the 77,000 men of the army operational heart. They will be under the direct authority of the Army General Staff.
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