UK and France conduct Exercise Griffin Strike

The UK and France will join forces to conduct the biggest development test to date, Exercise Griffin Strike.

The exercise will test the Combined UK and French Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) and will involve over 5,000 personnel. It will see a UK-French headquarters planning and executing major land, sea and air activity in order to demonstrate the force’s ‘full validation of concept’.

New developments to the CJEF mean the UK and France will be able to deploy forces rapidly to conflict zones, ahead of wider NATO or coalition operation, or to meet peace-keeping, disaster relief or humanitarian assistance requirements.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “This joint force will combine the might of two of the world’s biggest militaries, backed by our rising defence budget. It will enable us to deploy rapidly with our French allies, helping to keep Britain safe while contributing to security in the world.

French Defence Secretary Jean-Yves Le Drian added: “France and the UK share common security interests. In order to face high level domestic and international threats it is now more than important to continue to strengthen our operational cooperation between our two countries.”