(VOVWORLD) - France's armed forces on Sunday launched their flagship Orion 26 military exercises, which will last three months and is involving 24 countries.
More than 10,000 military personnel will be deployed for high-intensity warfare in drills designed to defend Europe from a hostile state.
Vice Admiral Xavier Royer de Véricourt, responsible for organization and in charge of the joint force staff, said Orion 26 aims to replicate the full spectrum of modern warfare, from hybrid conflict to high-intensity combat.
Between February 8, 2026 and April 30, 2026, the French armed forces are holding a major joint forces exercise during which 25 warships will be fielded including the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle, 140 fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, 1,200 drones, and it incorporates cyber and space, with an extensive test of NATO interoperability.