UAE, French armies conclude war games

[Al Bhatti]

May 3, 2012

Shaikh Mohammad with Admiral Edouard Guillaud, the French Chief of Defence Staff, and other senior officials. Prior to the start of the exercise Shaikh Mohammad was briefed on the objectives of the exercise.

Shaikh Mohammad greets UAE Military personnel that participated in the Gulf 2012 Military Exercise a collaboration between France and United Arab Emirates

General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Wednesday attended the final day of the joint military exercise Gulf 2012

General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces (R), greets UAE Military personnel participating in the Gulf 2012 Military Exercise a collaboration between France and United Arab Emirates

UAE soldiers load their military vehicle with rockets during manoeuvres with the French army in the desert of Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan shakes hands with a member of France's armed forces ahead of joint military manoeuvres between the United Arab Emirates and the French army in the desert of Abu Dhabi


UAE, French armies conclude war games

Aim is to boost ties between countries

General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, yesterday attended the final day of the joint military exercise Gulf 2012 which was being conducted by the UAE Armed Forces and French forces.

The exercise was part of a series of joint UAE-France military exercises to enhance cooperation and coordination and to exchange military expertise in accordance with the common defence treaty signed by the two countries.

Prior to the start of the exercise on its final day, Shaikh Mohammad listened to a brief on the objectives of the exercise, its stages and the participating forces from both countries.

He then headed to the platform of the final military display of the Gulf 2012 exercise and listened to a presentation on the exercise which began with live ammunition in which major weapons of both countries' armed forces engaged in line with the concept of joint operations.

The exercise also featured an air show of fighter jets and transport aircraft that entered service recently.

Major-General Pilot Rashid Mohammad Al Sa'adi, Chief of the UAE Joint Command and Staff College, said the Gulf 2012 military exercise has nothing to do with the recent regional and international developments.

"There is no relation or link between military training taking place and political events, swings, or instability in the region," he said during a press conference held at the conclusion of the exercise.

The commander of French forces, Vice-Admiral Marin Giller, also said the exercises had "no link to anything happening in the region."

gulfnews : UAE, French armies conclude war games

 

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CAMP HAMRA, United Arab Emirates: France concluded yesterday two weeks of war games with the United Arab Emirates, which officials from both sides insisted were not related to regional tensions involving Iran. The exercises, held every four years, came after a simmering row over ownership of three Gulf islands contested by the Emirates and Iran, and the United States’ deployment of cutting-edge F-22 fighter jets to the UAE. However, French and Emirati military officials insisted on Wednesday that the “Gulf 2012″ war games had been scheduled years ago, and that they carry no political messages to any side.

More than 4,500 troops – 1,800 of them from France – took part in the military exercises, which were previously held in 1996, 2000, 2005 and 2008. During the manoeuvres, troops simulated a war pitting the UAE and its ally against a neighbouring state which has invaded the Gulf country. “We are able to work together (in the) air, land and sea and also have combined teams with Emirati and French officers and soldiers,” Giller told reporters. “It went very well.”

France has bolstered its military ties with the Gulf state since it set up its first permanent military base in Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest and largest of the UAE’s seven emirates. The base, which hosts around 500 French army, navy and air force personnel, was opened by President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009. France is a leading military supplier to the UAE, and the two countries are linked by a 1995 defence pact. – AFP

 

[Al Bhatti]

May 3, 2012

UAE troops impress in Gulf war games

When rapid-firing rocket launchers had rained dozens of missiles on the enemy, Force 32 swept the area for any remaining hostile forces.


As UAE Air Force F-16s and Mirage 2000-9s offered air cover alongside French Rafale 3s, three armoured personnel carriers transporting infantrymen entered deep into enemy territory, engaging with the remaining forces of resistance and blocking them from retaking a compromised hilltop.

The daylight assault involved a full air, ground and naval attack with 4,500 combined Emirati and French troops.

The full-scale military training exercise played out on Umdaddi Hill on the western coast of Abu Dhabi yesterday.

The united forces flexed their muscles under the joint command of Maj Gen (Staff) Pilot Rashad Mohammed Salem Al-Saadi, the UAE military spokesperson, and Rear Admiral Marin Gillier, commander of the French Navy special forces.

By the end of the exercise, they had left their well-armed enemy crippled.

It began after SAT-8 surveillance aircraft were used to locate the positions of the enemy on the hilltop.

"Intelligence reports have revealed air defence sites in the enemy-controlled locations and the information has been fed to the command to take action," Maj Gen Rashad announced over a loudspeaker.

After a shower of missiles were fired by descending Mirage 2000-9s and Rafale 3s, more reports came in from scouts about the air defence sites. With that information, the French Rafales fired guided missiles to eliminate the enemy's air defences.

Next, the UAE sent in its Leclerc Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), firing even more shells at the enemy locations to accurately destroy three targets.

The shelling continued for about 15 minutes before a break to let engineers pass through the area and clear ground for further advancement. UAE Apache Attack helicopters gave the engineers cover, and a path for the advancement of the Leclerc MBTs was quickly cleared.

Next, the Dhibyani armoured personnel carriers carrying the joint UAE French infantry squad - identified as Force 32 - landed on the beach and advanced alongside the Leclerc MBTs.

Five trucks with G6 155 millimetre long-range guns formed an artillery battery and fired deep into enemy territory as Force 32 began to engage the enemy.

When rapid-firing rocket launchers had rained dozens of missiles on the enemy, Force 32 swept the area for any remaining hostile forces.

The coordinated attack, played out in just 90 minutes, was closely watched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Flanking him were Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, and Lt General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, the Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces.

"There was no relation to what is going on currently in the political scene," said Maj Gen Al Saadi. "This exercise was part of our regular training schedule."

But he added that the operation had worked to raise the readiness of the armed forces. "We are getting more and more prepared and this event enabled us to better our performance on the battlefield and concentrate on joint operations areas that needed more work," said Maj Gen Al Saadi. "Overall, I was very satisfied with the performance."

The hilltop assault is one of several being carried out as part of the fifth Gulf 2012 Military Exercises, conducted between the UAE and French Armed Forces every four years.

The exercises began in 1996, a year after the UAE and France signed a defence agreement.

"This was the largest exercise we have conducted and the first time we used air, land and naval forces at once," said Rear Admiral Marin Gillier, Commander of the French Navy special forces in the UAE. "The UAE forces worked well on a technical level and an operational level in this operation."

The next joint operation will be held in 2016.

UAE troops impress in Gulf war games - The National

 

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I really admire UAE keeness to keep her army well trained and and very well equipped. God bless them...Thank my brother for the beautiful pics.

 

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[Al Bhatti]

Some more pics

Black smoke, dust and sand rise after UAE and French fighter jets and tanks fired missiles during the joint military manoeuvres in the desert of Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. — AFP, Reuters

General Shaikh Mohammed and Shaikh Tahnoun arrive ahead of joint military manoeuvres between the UAE and the French army in the desert of Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. — Reuters

UAE tanks at the joint exercise. —AFP

 

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