Almost 250 French, Belgian and Luxembourgian troops along with 65 pieces of defence hardware of the NATO Battle Group in Romania on Thursday morning left the Babadag Range of Military Base 02025, Tulcea County, for Cincu Base, as part of the Deployex exercise.
The troops and hardware started the exercise on Monday, August 14, when they left the Cincu base. The ongoing military exercise tests the rapid deployment of troops and equipment of the NATO Battle Group.
“We were deployed to this place, where the necessary conditions for training are met, and as you can see, we are not French only. The battalion is also made up of Belgians and Luxembourgers. To us, it is a good opportunity to work together, in interoperability, and of course together with the Romanian Army, which supported us at this training ground. It is a very interesting opportunity to train in terms of logistical issues,” Commander of the NATO Battle Group, Colonel Philippe Le Duc, told the media.
He said that the combat hardware can cover the road between Cincu and Babadag in less than 12 hours and mentioned that the Tulcea-based training ground was chosen because it has several advantages.
“The first reason is it is very practical, it is the farthest place in the eastern part of the country. The second reason is that there we have a range where we can shoot; we can control our ability to stay in touch with the base in Cincu. (… ) We are close to Ukraine, but the most important thing is that we can deploy forces along the entire eastern border of the country, from Constanta to Bucovina,” added Le Duc.
He apologised for any discomfort created by the military convoy.
“We are aware that they are large vehicles and can create fear, but we are escorted by the Romanian Military Police and we move at maximum safety. You need not be afraid. We care about the population and this is very important to us,” said Le Duc.
The military convoy left for Focsani in the morning and will end its mission on Friday, August 18.
According to the Ministry of National Defense (MApN), the exercise that will end on Friday is a continuation of the training sequences previously held in Cincu.
The NATO Battle Group contributes to an increase in Romania’s defence co-operation with the participating countries – France, the Netherlands and Belgium (by rotation) – as well as with Luxembourg and, implicitly, to the consolidation of NATO security on the eastern flank.
Co-operation with strategic partners and the existence of relevant combat structures on the national soil contribute to an increase in the defence and deterrence posture amidst the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Black Sea region, according to MApN.