Freedom Flag 24-1

03/24/2025

With drop zone operations support provided by U.S. Air Force personnel from the 607th Air Support Operations Group, Republic of Korea military personnel assigned to the 13th Special Mission Brigade jump from a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan, and landed in a drop zone near Seoul Air Base, ROK, Nov. 1, 2024.

The bilateral static-line Airborne training was part of Freedom Flag 24-1, a combined flying exercise designed to strengthen relationships and enhance interoperability between U.S. partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

SOUTH KOREA

11.01.2024

Video by Maj. Kippun Sumner 

51st Fighter Wing

Phoenix Express 2024

03/21/2025

BIZERTE, Tunisia (Nov. 4 – 15, 2024) – U.S. Navy Divers assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2, and partner nations participate in Phoenix Express 2024 in Bizerte, Tunisia, Nov. 4 – 15, 2024. Phoenix Express 24 is one of three regional Express series exercises sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and executed by Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet as part of a comprehensive strategy to provide collaborative opportunities amongst African forces and international partners in order to address maritime security concerns.

BIZERTE, TUNISIA

11.08.2024

Video by Seaman Chance Hanson 

U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet

HSC-23 Conduct Air Power Demonstration During USS Boxer Tiger Cruise

03/19/2025

U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165 (Reinforced) and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 225, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Sailors assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 conduct an air power demonstration during a Tiger Cruise aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) while underway in the Pacific Ocean Nov. 16, 2024. Elements of the 15th MEU are currently embarked aboard Boxer and are conducting routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet.

USS BOXER (LHD 4), PACIFIC OCEAN

11.16.2024

Video by Cpl. Joseph Helms   

15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

“A Long-term Rearmament Drive in Europe”: The Perspective from Nicolas Chamussy, CEO KNDS France

03/18/2025

By Pierre Tran

Paris – KNDS has been much in the news, with the chief executive of the French unit floating the idea of a public-private partnership to boost arms production, and media reports of a possible stock market flotation of the Franco-German builder of land weapons.

The chief executive of KNDS France, Nicolas Chamussy, sketched out March 12 to the Association des Journalistes de Defense, a press club, the concept of “an industrial reserve for armaments,” based on “Anglo-Saxon” lines of a government-owned, contractor-operated factory.

That state-backed industrial plant would be on standby, ready to build weapons quickly and in volume in times of conflict, such as the war in Ukraine. That business concept called for investment in new plant that would remain standing for decades – a long-term commitment.

Increased production was particularly important for artillery shells and the explosive material from specialist producer Eurenco, which has expanded its plant in Bergerac, southern France.

KNDS France has raised production of its Caesar artillery and 155mm 52 caliber shells, which have been sent by Paris and Western allies to help arm Ukraine.

A perceived need for rearming of Europe stemmed from the Russian invasion of Ukraine February 2022, with urgency increased by the Trump administration’s signalling of disdain for those fellow Nato members and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The European Union had made an early pledge to send one million cannon shells to help hard pressed Ukraine after Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion three years ago. The E.U. nations failed by a wide margin to meet that resupply target by March 2023, pointing up a lack of national stock and output of new ammunition.

The Ukrainian forces received 10 different types of 155 mm artillery from European allies, presenting “serious logistical difficulties” for the Ukrainian forces, a report commissioned by the E.U. Commission said September 2024. So many types of cannons showed a fragmented European arms industry, “limiting its scale and hindering operational effectiveness in the field,” the report said. There were even different variants of some of those types of guns.

The Ukrainian army fields artillery firing the Soviet-standard 152 mm shell, and Kyiv has launched production of 155 mm shells and artillery, to meet Nato specifications.

Mario Draghi drafted that report for the E.U., The Future of European Competitiveness. Draghi is a former Italian prime minister and ex-president of the European Central Bank.

Concern over Washington could be seen with March 13 and 14 media reports of Portugal looking at European fighters instead of the F-35 to replace its F-16 fleet, and Canada reconsidering its order for the F-35. The latter reflected anger over President Donald Trump referring to Canada as the 51st state of the U.S., and slapping tariffs on Canadian goods.

With more uncertainty in the world, there was need for European partners to create certainty, a foreign policy advisor at the Elysée office said March 14. That meant having more agency, and building on assets of European autonomy. France was preparing for the next meeting of the European Policy Community, to be held May 16.

Elysée Meeting

Chamussy was one of the chief executives of the seven largest French arms companies attending a March 14 meeting called by president Emmanuel Macron, at the Elysée office. The companies were Airbus, Dassault Aviation, KNDS France, MBDA, Naval Group, Safran, and Thales. Some 4,000 small and medium companies were represented at the meeting, part of Macron’s pursuit of a faster, more productive sector in what he has called a war economy.

That meeting would explore developing capabilities in artificial intelligence, space, drones, quantum computing, and submarine threats, RMC radio reported.

A key topic would also be the government’s pressure on contractors to pay effectively royalties on export sales, with foreign sales of the Rafale fighter jet in the sights of the administration, financial website La Tribune reported. The three leading contractors, Dassault, Safran, and Thales, were in dispute with the authorities over €153 million ($167 million) to be paid on exports of the Rafale.

Chamussy has worked at senior levels at Airbus, was an advisor in the office of a previous  defense minister, and he worked in the U.S. air force laboratory at Kirtland air base, Alburquerque, NM  in the early 1990s. He is chair of Gicat, a trade association for the land weapons industry.

To List Or Not To List

The French state-owned KNDS France, and its German joint venture partner, the privately held KNDS Deutschland, have been exploring the possibility of an initial public offering, perhaps by the end of this year or early 2026, news agency Reuters reported Feb. 21.

News of a possible flotation of KNDS was surprising, two specialists in the land systems sector said. The French unit was previously the national arsenal for land weapons, formerly trading as Nexter, renamed from Groupement Industriel des Armaments Terrestres (GIAT).

The reported interest of KNDS going public may reflect a willingness of the French state and the German Bode family to gain on a keen market appetite for arms stocks. The Bode family controls Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the German partner in KNDS.

Arms companies listed on European share markets have seen their stock prices rise sharply, while the wider market has been highly volatile. That bullish trend for military manufacturers follows European political leaders pledging big spending increases for weapons in response to a U.S. chill toward Europe and Nato, seen as Washington’s waning transatlantic solidarity.

Brokerage Jeffries downgraded March 13 Thales to hold from buy, on a view the stock had been rerated too quickly. The brokerage also placed under research coverage Dassault, Hensoldt, Leonardo, Renk, and Rheinmetall.

Jefferies expects Rheinmetall to benefit from sales growth of land weapons for at least the next 10 years, particularly in artillery shells. The German arms company was also seeking growth in air defense, electronics, and sales of combat vehicles in the U.S.

In France, the Euronext stock market authorities reversed a decision to take Airbus, Safran, and Thales off the CAC 40 ESG (environmental, social, and governance) index, under political pressure, media reports said. Those companies had been told of a planned ejection  from the ESG index March 12, just a day before the meeting with Macron at the Elysée.

The ESG index was seen as important, attracting investors seeking companies offering social responsibility.

The French armed forces minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has raised the prospect of raising annual military spending to some €100 billion. That compares to €68 billion forecast for 2030 under the multi-year military budget law, and €50 billion pledged for 2025.

The German Dax stock market index rose two percent March 14 on news Friedrich Merz, due  to be named German chancellor, had reached agreement with the Green party on launch of a €500 billion fund to spark life in an ailing domestic economy, easing strict rules on national debt, and boost military spending.

KNDS France is the builder of the Leclerc heavy tank, Caesar truck-mounted artillery, and armored and combat vehicles in the French army’s Scorpion modernization program.

KNDS Deutschland builds the Leopard 2, a heavy tank shipped by European allies to support Ukraine against Russian forces, Boxer armored vehicle, and PzH 2000 artillery.

Macron, was economy minister in 2015 when Paris gave the green light to the creation of KNDS, a Franco-German joint venture formed from state-owned Nexter and privately held Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

The dateline on the Reuters report was Frankfurt, where the German stock exchange is located, and where KNDS shares would be listed if the flotation were approved.

On Mergers & Acquisitions

Chamussy declined to comment on the value of an agreed acquisition of the military business of Texelis, a privately owned company specializing in vehicle mobility packages.

Texelis was a “strategic fit,” he said. “This significantly strengthens our capability for engineering and production for subsystems, which are fundamental and outside the scope of KNDS France.”

KNDS and Texelis work as partners on the Serval armored vehicle, and won an order last year for 627 units, part of a total order for some 1,400, he said. KNDS knew how to set specifications, but the company would be acquiring the capability to design and build the mobility package with Texelis.

The two companies expected to ship more than 100 Serval units this year, rising to annual delivery of 200, after a 69-strong first batch was delivered in 2022.

The companies won the order for Serval development and production back in 2018/19, he said, and there were more than 20 Serval variants, based on six versions. These included troop carrier, medical evacuation, satellite communications, engineer, surface-to-air missile, anti-drone, and command vehicle.

The Celeris export version had won an order in Indonesia, he said.

Long Term Rearm

It looked like there was “a long-term rearmament drive in Europe,” Chamussy said.

KNDS France has speeded up production of its Caesar artillery, ordered by France and Western allies to help arm the Ukrainian army.

The outbreak of war in Ukraine ushered in what Macron said at the 2022 Eurosatory trade show was a war economy, requiring higher and faster production, and greater autonomy.

That led to a “ramp up” of Caesar artillery and its 155 mm 52 caliber shells, Chamussy said.

KNDS will have shipped 113 Caesar cannon to Ukraine by the end of 2025, and will have provided service for the AMX RC10 combat vehicle and spares for three years, he said. There was support from industry partners.

Back in 2019-2021, the average production of Caesar was 10-15 a year, he said. That production rose last year to 43, with 60 or more expected in 2025.

The faster production lay in building six Caesar a month compared to the previous 1-1/2 to two artillery systems a month, he said. Macron had asked for a Caesar to be built in 12 months compared to the 21-23 months before the Ukraine war broke out in February 2022.

KNDS responded by placing in March-April 2022 orders worth some €600 million million for material and parts to build almost 300 Caesar cannon barrels, representing three to four years of work.

The company placed its orders before France and other client nations signed contracts for the truck-mounted artillery.

“We made something of a gamble,” he said, referring to ordering the material and parts for the barrels, explosives, and electronics.

More Cannon Barrels and Shells

KNDS was building 150-200 cannon barrels a year at its Bourges factory, central France, Chamussy said. These were barrels for new Caesar systems, spares for stocks, and included 155 mm, 120 mm, and 105 mm large caliber guns.

The 155 mm shell was not propelled, and consisted of a steel shell body, filled with high explosive, fuze, and modular charge, with the more charge the greater range. The 39 caliber gave a shorter range than 52, he said.

The company in 2022-2023 doubled production of shells to 65,000-70,000 from 33,000-35,000 a year, he said, and was due to build 100,000 shells in 2025.

KNDS installed new highly automated machines in the second quarter 2024 at Bourges, with that machinery being fitted in its factory in Belgium, which would be ready in the middle of 2025.

KNDS had been fully committed to a big French army program, Scorpion, when the Ukraine war broke out in 2022, he said. That program had allowed the land arms sector to develop significantly, with industry meeting deadlines on the Griffon and Serval troop carriers, and Jaguar reconnaissance and combat vehicle despite the Covid crisis.

That Scorpion program has been running for 10 years. KNDS was also working on the upgrade on the French army’s 200-strong fleet of the Leclerc tank.

The company was now shipping one armored vehicle a day, whether that was Griffon, Jaguar or Serval, he said, the equivalent of 20-22 ton of vehicle shipped a day. The target was to build 450 armored vehicles a year.

A faster production could be seen with Estonia ordering six Caesar last June, he said, and the cannon appearing on the military parade for the national festival last month. A higher output of six guns per month, instead of the previous 24 months for a gun, had allowed that delivery.

Belgium was “integrating” the first Griffon troop carrier, he said, in its Capacité Motorisée (CaMo) modernization program, with Luxembourg as a partner nation.

New Drones, Fighting Vehicle on the Market

KNDS was also offering a loitering munition, dubbed Mataris, he said.

The Mataris, named after a weapon used by the warriors of ancient Gaul, was based on lessons learned on the drone weapons France shipped as military aid to Ukraine under the Colibri and Larinae urgent requirement projects.

KNDS drew on its fragmentation and anti-armor warheads, and worked with industrial partners Delair, EOS, and TRAAK to build the Mataris drones. KNDS displayed the Mataris at the IDEX trade show in Abu Dhabi in January.

KNDS was also pitching to Qatar and Greece a new version of the VBCI, with  the infantry fighting vehicle armed with a remote control 40 mm cannon from CTA International, a joint venture between BAE Systems and KNDS, he said.

That version might interest the French army, which has a fleet of VBCI armed with a 25 mm gun. Arquus and KNDS built the VBCI as joint prime contractors.

The Direction Générale de l’Armement delivered Dec. 19 the first Griffon vehicle armed with a mortar, dubbed Mepac, to the French army, the procurement office said Jan. 23. Ten more Mepac were due to be shipped to the French forces this year, of a total 54 by the end of 2028. Belgium was due to receive 24 Mepac under its CaMo armored vehicle program.

Thales supplies its 2R2M gun, a 120 mm mortar to that version of the Griffon. Arquus, KNDS, and Thales are industrial partners.

NATO Swedish Live Fire Exercise

03/17/2025

Swedish Soldiers conduct a live firing exercise in preparation of the Dynamic Front 25 exercise in Rovaniemi, Finland on Nov. 19, 2024. Dynamic Front takes place from Nov. 4-24 in Finland, Estonia, Germany, Poland, and Romania, and demonstrates NATO’s ability to share fire missions, target information, and operational graphics from the Arctic to the Black Sea. It increases the lethality of the Alliance through long-range fires, builds unit readiness in a complex joint, multinational environment, and leverages host nation capabilities to increase USAREUR-AF’s operational reach. Dynamic Front includes more than 1,800 U.S. and 3,700 multi-national service members from 28 Allied and partner nations.

ROVANIEMI, FINLAND

11.19.2024

Video by Spc. Jennifer Posy 

5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment    

The Next Steps in Working Distributed Aviation Operations: 2nd MAW Works the Challenge

03/16/2025

By Robbin Laird

When I interviewed the Commanding General of 2nd Marine Air Wing last summer, he underscored the importance for the Marines to craft a way ahead with regard to distributed air operations.

This is how we discussed the issue at that time:

We then discussed distributed air operations (DO) and how it differed from simply being a Forward Arming and Refueling Point or ‘FARP’. The difference is profound.

While a FARP remains the most visible manifestation of DO, it is the final action and does not by itself reflect significant choices and work necessary to create that capability to re-arm air assets at remote and ever changing locations – allowing the force to disaggregate for protection and then aggregate to mass combat capability, all in a rapid manner to maintain tempo.

As MajGen Benedict put it: “The difference is the backside. Where is the location? Why that location? How do we get the fuel there? How do we get ordinance there? How do we provide force protection? How do we maintain the aircraft and for how long? How long are we going to be there? When do we need to move? All of these things are what I call the backside of distributed operations.”

To deal with this challenge, 2nd MAW has added a functional area inside of its Tactical Air Command Center which is called a Distributed Operations Coordination Cell. According to Benedict: “Here we plan out and initiate coordination and execution of all the aviation ground support necessary to support an ATO in a distributed environment.”

His successor, Major General Swan, has continued the effort. In fact, 2nd MAW has just completed working next steps in the way ahead with regard to DAO.

This is the story written by 1st Lt. John Graham published on 14 March 2025 highlighting the effort:

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. – Units with 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) completed an exercise focused on distributed aviation operations (DAO) near the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) on Andros Island, Bahamas, Jan. 28 to Mar. 15.  

The exercise encompassed establishing decentralized aviation ground-support operations across multiple sites. Led by Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 272 and supported by several units across 2nd MAW and 2nd Marine Logistics Group (MLG), the operations included constructing expeditionary landing zones, improving existing landing pads, improving and repairing infrastructure, and supporting medical and dental civic action programs in support of the local Bahamian community.   

 “The deployment directly supported 2nd MAW’s DAO warfighting concept, allowing aviation assets to operate effectively across multiple, distinct sites while maintaining command-and-control,” said Lt. Col. Brandon Mokris, commanding officer, MWSS-272. “This exercise required us to work alongside several units across II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and 2nd MAW to get our Marines and Sailors where they needed to be with the right equipment.”  

 The DAO warfighting concept is 2nd MAW’s method of operating within an adversary’s sensing and weapons-engagement zone. The concept enables 2nd MAW to generate aviation combat power through the dispersion and coordinated employment of aviation squadrons, command-and-control agencies, aviation logistics, and aviation ground-support units while integrating closely with allies and partners across the battlespace.   

In addition to employing future operating concepts, MWSS-272, alongside personnel from 2nd Medical Battalion and 2nd Dental Battalion delivered primary medical and dental care services to Andros Island residents.   

“Through coordination with the Bahamian government and the U.S. Embassy, our medical and dental civic action program provided important primary care services to many Bahamians on Andros Island,” said Mokris. “We are extremely appreciative of our partnership with the U.S. Navy at AUTEC, as well as the Bahamian government, for enabling us the opportunity to train there.”    

Participating units included MWSS-272, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162, Marine Wing Communications Squadron (MWCS) 28, and Marine Air Control Squadron (MACS) 2, which are subordinate units of 2nd MAW, as well as 2nd Medical Battalion and 2nd Dental Battalion, which are subordinate units of 2nd MLG. 2nd MAW and 2nd MLG are the aviation and logistics combat elements of II MEF. Additionally, the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VR) 62 provided support.

For the series I am working on force distribution and shaping a way ahead for the USMC, see the following:

A Look at this Year’s USMC Aviation Plan: Shaping a Way Ahead

The Operational Re-Set: Distributed Aviation Operations

 

10th Mountain Division and Multi-domain Operations

03/14/2025

The 10th Mountain Division (LI) hosted Summit Strike 2024, Nov. 19-21, with the intent to seamlessly integrate fires; intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR); and multi-domain operations (MDO) assets by partnering with other countries, military branches, and multiple industry partners to defeat adversaries, while showcasing Fort Drum as the premier training and force development hub in the Northeast.

“It is our sacred obligation to fight and win our nation’s wars,” said Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, the 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander. “Summit Strike provides the 10th Mountain Division the opportunity to hone the skills our warfighters need to accomplish this. Through this multi-domain training exercise, we are able to learn, refine requirements, and develop innovative solutions to fight a near-peer enemy with successive iterations of live, multi-domain training.”

Summit Strike ’24 validated the division’s ability to integrate surface-to-surface, rotary-wing, and fixed-wing weapon systems, enhancing its lethality. The exercise solidified Fort Drum’s position as a premier training and force development hub, showcasing its ability to integrate emerging technology and systems into range operations.

FORT DRUM, NEW YORK

11.21.2024

Video by Spc. Mason Nichols 

27th Public Affairs Detachment

10th Mountain Division hosts Summit Strike 2024

03/12/2025

The 10th Mountain Division (LI) hosted Summit Strike 2024, Nov. 19-21, with the intent to seamlessly integrate fires; intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR); and multi-domain operations (MDO) assets by partnering with other countries, military branches, and multiple industry partners to defeat adversaries, while showcasing Fort Drum as the premier training and force development hub in the Northeast.

FORT DRUM, NEW YORK

11.20.2024

Video by Spc. Mason Nichols 

27th Public Affairs Detachment