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French Armed Forces in Lebanon
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| Friday, January
27, 2012, 06:17 PM |
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| French
armed forces equipment and combat vehicles in the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. |
In
December 2011, Army Recognition magazine reporter team was in Lebanon
to cover the SMES 2011 defence Exhibition in Beyrouth. During our trip,
we also visited the French Army troops which are deployed as members of
the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon).
Analysis of Army Recognition online defense magazine about the military
equipment, combat systems and armoured vehicles use by the French Army
troops and their role in Lebanon.
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UNIFIL French
army peacekeepers during a briefing before a patrol in South Lebanon. |
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The
UNIFIL was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security
Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal
from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international
peace and security, and help the Government of Lebanon restore its effective
authority in the area.
The French army is one of the largest UNIFIL forces with Italy.
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The COBRA system
consists of high performance radar, an advanced processing system, and
a flexible command, control and communications (C3) system to detect enemy
artillery location. |
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In its missions, the French army is responsible for
controlling all movements of troops, vehicles and rocket attacks that
could come from southern Lebanon or Israel. To fulfill this mission, the
French army deployed its Cobra radar. The Cobra (Counter Battery Radar)
is a 3-D Phased Array Radar that was developed for Germany, France and
the UK.
The COBRA system consists of high performance radar, an advanced processing
system, and a flexible command, control and communications (C3) system
to detect enemy artillery location. The critical data is provided to friendly
indirect fire units in order to be counter attack. In the French army,
all the COBRA elements are mounted on a Renault truck TRM10000 requiring
only a crew of 3 to run the whole system.
More
than 40 six-gun batteries can be located and reported to a higher command
through a Command, Control and Communications (C3) subsystem in less than
two minutes. Simultaneous with enemy battery location missions and impact
point prediction, COBRA can be tasked to perform friendly fire registration
by tracking counter-fire projectiles and providing necessary correction
parameters.
The
COBRA system can be operational in less than 10 minutes once the carrier
vehicle is stopped. Likewise it can shut down and start moving in just
3 minutes. The COBRA counter-battery radar meets the needs of Germany,
France and the United Kingdom. Its advanced design allows to be integrated
into existing defense networks achieving enhanced performance.
November 29, 2011, one rocket was fired at northern Israel, prompting
the Israeli army to return fire. The firing was first detected by the
Cobra of the French Army. |
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CAESAR
155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer in firing position |
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The
French are the only members of the UNIFIL to be equipped with heavy artillery
weapons. In the beginning, after the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict and
following the cease-fire, the UNIFIL received vast reinforcement, up to
15,000 men, and heavy equipment. France is committed to increase its troops
from 400 to 2,000 soldiers and sent Leclerc main battle tanks, AMX
30 AuF1 self-propelled artillery howitzer and AMX-10P
armoured infantry fighting vehicle.
Tracked vehicles have shown that they had difficulties to move in mountainous
areas, where roads are narrow, and in small villages. This type of vehicle
is also seen by the population more much more aggressive than wheeled
armored vehicles. French command decided to replace the tanks and tracked
howitzers with wheeled vehicles such as Nexter
‘s VBCI
and wheeled self-propelled howitzer CAESAR.
The
French force in Lebanon also has for mission to provide artillery support
if necessary for all other members of UNIFIL, with its wheeled artillery
howitzer CAESAR
which is very mobile and can quickly be put in a battery in a very short
time.
The
CAESAR ( CAmion Equipé d'un Système
d'ARtillerie - Truck equipped with an artillery system) is a 155 mm/52-calibre
gun-howitzer installed on a 6X6 Renault or Unimog truck chassis.
The
CAESAR is fitted with the FAST-Hit computerized fire
control system, muzzle velocity radar and navigation system with Global
Positioning System. It provides onboard terminals for communication and
firing sequence management. This howitzer can be set into and out of action
in less than one minute. |
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French VBL
Panhard Light Armoured Vehicle on patrol in South Lebanon |
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The new PVP
Panhard Light Protected Vehicle is now the standard light tactical
vehicle of the French Army. |
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For
patrol operations, the French forces mainly use the VBL
armored vehicles from Panhard, the PVP
from Panhard, the
VAB personnel carrier from Renault Trucks Defense
and the new wheeled armored infantry fighting vehicle VBCI from Nexter.
We
were embedded with the French troops on patrol in southern Lebanon, particularly
in mountainous areas and off-road. The Panhard VBL showed an excellent
mobility in off-road conditions, despite its many years of service, and
was able to travel in areas where other military vehicles were blocked.
The Panhard
PVP and the VBCI also demonstrated high mobility in off-road
conditions, but with more engine power and greater comfort for the crew
than the VBL.
The new VBCI is deployed in Lebanon since September 2010. A year after
their arrival, the first results are very positive. Better perceived by
local population than the tracked armoured infantry fighting vehicle AMX-10P,
the VBCI is also more efficient. Its 8-wheel drive allows the Fench UNIFIL
Forces to intervene in all of southern Lebanon, on rough terrain and on
road without damaging it. VBCI
also have lower noise levels.
The first threat in Lebanon is IED (Improvised Explosive Device). In July
2011, three French soldiers serving with the UNIFIL were wounded by road
side bomb near the city of Saida. The front of the Renault VAB
troop carrier received most of the blast and was badly damaged, with several
parts blown 20 to 30 meters away. In December 2011, Five French soldiers
and two civilians were wounded by a powerful roadside bomb that targeted
a UNIFIL patrol in the southern coastal city of Tyre, a spokesperson and
media reports said.
The new VBCI
of the French Army offers latest technology and armour to increase the
protection of the crew against IED threats. The French soldiers feel better
protected in this type of vehicle. They are also very pleased with the
increase of comfort compared to the old AMX-10P,
and impressed by the shooting accuracy of the 25 mm cannon.
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The VBCI
of Nexter
is the new armoured fighting vehicle in service for the French army infantry
units. |
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Many
vehicles of the French UNIFIL forces are equipped at the front with counter-IED
jammers, (antennas in the front) to protect vehicle operating in high
threat environment. Some Sherpa logistic trucks from Renault Trucks are
fitted with a new armoured cabin to increase the protection of the crew
against improvised explosive device and firing of small arms and RPG rocket
launcher type.
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Jamming system
against IED (Improvised Explosive Device) is mounted at the front the
VBL
Panhard |
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Logistic vehicles
are also targets for IEDs. These Sherpa truck is equipped with jamming
system against IED, mounted at the front of the engine compartment. |
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Mine
action in Lebanon became internationally recognized only after Israel
withdrew its forces in May 2000. After more than 20 years of internal
strife and Israeli occupation, Lebanon remains littered with hundreds
of thousands of landmines and UXO (Unexploded ordnance), including cluster
munitions.
Since 1975, 898 people were killed and 2,943 were injured as a result
of unexploded ordnance and mines. Although clearance of some highly impacted
communities and success in mine risk education has reduced the casualty
toll by 75 percent from 2000 to early 2006, mines and UXOs continue to
kill and maim people in Lebanon.
Another mission of the French troops in Lebanon is the mine clearance
of the country following the war against Israel. During our coverage,
we have been able to attend a comprehensive overview over the missions,
equipment and vehicles during a presentation by the French engineer troops
in the UNIFIL mission. |
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The VAB
is the standard armoured vehicle for engineer combat team of French Army. |
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The
French engineer units have also the following tasks:
- Support for mobility of UNIFIL with opening of axis of progression
- Perform work of protection to military camps and isolated units
- construction works of buildings and facilities of French units
- provide the support in electrical energy for French troops
- improvement of paths and roads for the UNIFIL troops
To ensure its missions, the French engineer units have different means,
ranging from armored vehicles and also cranes, bulldozers and construction
machinery. |
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French engineer
combat bulldozer with armour cabin. |
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The sky is always a threat for the armed forces especially
with the new combat UAV (Unmanned Aerial vehicle) which can be armed with
missile and bombs.
Experts and media have been discussing the potential use of UAVs for terrorism
for some time. Until recently, this threat was considered to lie primarily
in the conversion of anti-ship cruise missiles or small manned airplanes
to land attack missiles. Previous studies focused on threats from so-called
"states of concern" rather than non-state actors. A broader
spectrum of possible terrorist uses has been addressed since September
11, 2001.
Experts
point to a set of advantages that may make UAVs seem attractive to terrorists:
• Possibility to attack targets that are difficult to reach by land
(cars loaded with explosives or suicide terrorists)
• Possibility of carrying out a wide-scale (area) attack, aimed
at inflicting a maximum death rate on a population (particularly, through
the use of chemical or biological weapons in cities)
• Covertness of attack preparation and flexibility in choice of
a UAV launch site
• Possibility of achieving a long range and acceptable accuracy
with relatively inexpensive and increasingly available technology
• Poor effectiveness of existing air defenses against targets such
as low-flying UAVs
• Relative cost effectiveness of UAVs compared with ballistic missiles
and manned airplanes
• Possibility of achieving a strong psychological effect by scaring
people and putting pressure on politicians
French
army compound of UNIFIL are regularly over flown by drones from Israel,
which are detected by air defense teams equipped with the Mistral Pamela
short range air defense missile system coupled to the Samantha radar air
defence early warning and command & control unit. Basically the Mistral
Pamela is mounted on a Renault TRM 2000 light truck. |
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The Samantha
is the radar detection unit for the Mistral short range air defence missile
system. The radar is mounted at the rear of the light truck VLRA ACMAT.
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The
Samantha radar has a tactical detection range of 30 kilometers and engagement
ranges of 20 and 10 kilometers against aircraft and hovering helicopters
respectively. SAMANTHA can track up to 16 targets simultaneously and coordinate
up to eleven Mistral firing units. The radar can be controlled remotely
from a secondary operating post at a distance of up to 400 metres from
the main radar station. The aim of this secondary operating position is
to avoid casualties during anti-radiation missile attacks against the
radar. |
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At the French
camp area in Lebanon, the Mistral is installed on modular observation
tower, to increase the visibility and the reaction for Mistral combat
teams.
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At
the French camp area in Lebanon, the Mistral is installed on modular observation
tower, to increase the visibility and the reaction for Mistral combat
teams. All mistral launcher units are protected by a VAB armoured vehicle
personnel carrier armed with a 20 mm gun which are used also to fire warning
shots against aerial threats.
The Mistral launcher unit is equipped with the new Matis MP3 optronic
aiming sight designed and manufactured by Sagem (Safran group). The MATIS
imagers use cooled infrared technology in the 3-5µm spectral bandwidth,
combined with a focal plane array, a highly reliable micro-cooler and
highly integrated electronics. MATIS’s latest-generation Focal Plane
Array (FPA) provides thermal sensibility and incomparable image quality.
These characteristics make MATIS imagers particularly reliable and lightweight,
with performance, compactness and cost optimized peerlessly. With this
sight system the Mistral teams are able to make observation in day or
night conditions with more accuracy. |
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The Mistral
is a short range air defence missile system, normally the missile launcher
system is mounted at the rear of Renault
TRM 2000 light truck. |
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All mistral
launcher unit are protected by a VAB armoured vehicle personnel carrier
armed with a 20 mm gun which are used also to fire warning shots against
aerial threats.
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I would like to thank all the officers, NCOs and soldiers
of the French UNIFIL units that allowed the realization of this press
coverage and our protection.
I
am grateful particularly to Colonel Du Gardin, Commander Officer of the
1° RTir (Régiment de tirailleurs), Colonel Tissier of the 35°
RI (Infantry Regiment) and Capitaine Courot Press officer of the 1°
RTir for their hospitality in the all French units of UNIFIL |
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