FRANCO-BRITISH DEFENCE COOPERATION

Transcription

1 The FBC in conversation with Général Denis Mercier and Air Chief Marshal Andrew Pulford February 2015 FRANCO-BRITISH DEFENCE COOPERATION Crédit photo Armée de l air Général Denis Mercier Chef d Etat Major de l armée de l air Air Chief Marshal Andrew Pulford Chief of the Air Staff FBCDEFENCEContact:DrClaireChick,2015Conference clairechick@francobritishcouncil.org.uk 1

2 The FBC in conversation with Général Denis Mercier and Air Chief Marshal Andrew Pulford February 2015 Claire Chick : Général, le partenariat franco-britannique entre les deux armées de l air est une coopération qui fonctionne bien depuis longtemps. Qu est-ce que les accords de Lancaster House lui ont apporté? * Général Denis Mercier : La coopération entre la Royal Air Force et l armée de l air française repose sur une base historique forte, qui a pris corps dès le début de l aviation. Le deuxième conflit mondial a contribué à forger un fond de culture commune, où les pilotes français et britanniques ont appris à voler sur les avions de leurs partenaires de guerre. L aviateur René Mouchotte est une figure emblématique de cette entente pragmatique au-dessus de la Manche. Aujourd hui, l excellente qualité de notre relation découle aussi en grande partie de notre expérience commune au sein de l OTAN. Nous opérons ensemble en permanence. L OTAN est un catalyseur d interopérabilité que nous utilisons dans la relation franco-britannique, qui nous permet de développer les mêmes concepts de réactivité. Cette harmonisation des procédures et concepts d emploi est une spécificité qui est propre aux aviateurs et qui constitue un socle fort de coopération. Reste que l apport des accords de Lancaster House est clair : depuis bientôt cinq ans, nous allons plus loin sur l échelle du rapprochement bilatéral, tant au niveau tactique qu au niveau stratégique. Quelle est par exemple la valeur ajoutée de la Combined Vision and Strategy (CVS) établie fin 2013? Permet-elle de progresser sur la voie d une formulation stratégique commune? La CVS est justement un produit concret des traités francobritanniques de Les axes qui ont été retenus pour avancer sur la voie d une influence commune ont ouvert cinq domaines de coopération: le C2, les capacités ISR, la projection stratégique, la force de combat et d appui et enfin, l éducation et l entraînement. La mise en place du comité stratégique board to board est une initiative typiquement franco-britannique, que nous ne connaissons avec aucun autre partenaire, et qui nous permet de déterminer ensemble les objectifs de nos deux armées. ACM Pulford et Général Mercier, crédit photo Armée de l air Dans la pratique, c est une démarche qui nous rapproche et nous permet de parler d une seule voix dans les instances internationales. La European Air Chiefs Conference (EURAC) et la NATO Air Chiefs Conference (NACS) sont à cet égard des plateformes où nous avons l occasion de formuler ensemble des propositions, et d initier des projets en affirmant notre leadership. * Translation into the English page 8 2

3 The FBC in conversation with Général Denis Mercier and Air Chief Marshal Andrew Pulford February 2015 Au plan opérationnel, quand pourra-ton parler d une force de commandement Air franco-britannique pour intervenir dans la gestion des crises? La NATO Response Force illustre notre volonté de partager et intégrer nos compétences. Quand l armée de l air est leader de la composante aérienne, elle reçoit un très fort soutien de la RAF et vice versa. Bien sûr, de nombreuses autres nations sont impliquées mais les capacités de commandement et contrôle françaises et britanniques constituent une force. Au niveau bilatéral, les exercices mis en place dans le cadre du calendrier soutenu de la CJEF sont très satisfaisants. Mais la prochaine étape doit être l intégration. Nous devons nous projeter sur la constitution d un détachement franco-britannique, et le partenariat renforcé par les accords de Lancaster House y contribue. Nous devons nous projeter sur la constitution d un détachement francobritannique Dans le sillage de ce rapprochement de défense en évolution, le partage capacitaire entre l Armée de l air et la RAF représente-t-il une ambition? Vol en patrouille d'un Typhoon et d'un Rafale biplaces au large de l'ecosse. Crédit photo : UK MOD Crown Copyright, Une capacité c est avant tout un groupe d hommes qui utilise un équipement avec une doctrine d emploi et une organisation spécifique. Le partage capacitaire intègre donc avant tout les hommes. Et avec les Britanniques, nous commençons à le faire. La mise en place d un réseau d officiers d échange est un pas décisif dans cette direction, et par exemple, l expérience de pilotes français et britanniques qui volent alternativement sur Eurofighter et Rafale contribue à confirmer la qualité du partenariat de défense. Plus l intégration opérationnelle entre nos deux armées est forte et plus le partage capacitaire franco-britannique deviendra réalisable. C est vrai pour les avions ravitailleurs et les transporteurs, c est vrai aussi pour les drones. Sur le dossier FCAS, aujourd hui, c est l industrie qui a la main pour préparer les choix technologiques de Mais les militaires doivent réfléchir de leur côté à un concept capacitaire commun. Le défi est de taille mais je suis optimiste, la volonté commune d y arriver est réelle. 3

4 The FBC in conversation with Général Denis Mercier and Air Chief Marshal Andrew Pulford February 2015 Le CEMAA et le CAS sont-ils des incitateurs à la mutualisation du soutien des matériels à l échelle européenne? Pour préserver la cohérence de nos équipements, nous estimons que la mise en œuvre de normes européennes communes est un chantier prometteur. Avec L EMAR (European Military Airworthiness Requirements), la France et le Royaume-Uni contribuent largement à l effort d harmonisation des règles de navigabilité militaire en Europe. Pour le soutien, il est vrai que l externalisation pratiquée par les Britanniques sur les MRTT nous empêche d envisager une coopération dans le domaine de la formation et de la maintenance. Le partenariat public-privé matérialisé par le mécanisme du PFI (Private Finance Initiative) n existe pas en France à ce niveau. Mais sur d autres dossiers, les initiatives franco britanniques sont des catalyseurs comme cela a été le cas pour le développement de l European Air Group (EAG) né du groupe aérien Franco-Britannique. Enfin, le contrat franco-britannique de maintien en conditions opérationnelles (MCO) des A400M marque le début d'une coopération inédite dans le soutien aéronautique. Le défi sera d étendre, plus tard, cet effort de standardisation aux cinq autres pays partenaires. Quelle(s) priorité(s) faut-il donner à l entente bilatérale des aviateurs pour les cinq prochaines années? Il faut placer le facteur humain au cœur de la relation franco-britannique de défense. Il faut que nos militaires se rencontrent pour que demain ils se déploient ensemble. Il faut que les aviateurs de tous niveaux se connaissent. Aujourd hui, il existe des rencontres très fréquentes et de bonnes relations entre nos généraux et nos colonels. Il faut que nos jeunes officiers et sous-officiers se rencontrent plus souvent. Nous étions en Afrique récemment avec l Air Chief Marshal Pulford pour rendre visite aux aviateurs de la force Barkhane. Les rencontres au poste de commandement interarmées de N Djamena et aux détachements de chasse et de drones ont permis d afficher notre entente et d être à l écoute de nos unités. Il serait intéressant d échanger sur nos pratiques en matière de ressources humaines. Et, par exemple, mettre en avant la question du barrage de la langue, même si en France la maîtrise de l anglais devient un critère d excellence dans le recrutement de nos militaires. Je suis sûr que bientôt, plus d aviateurs de la RAF parleront aussi français 19 e rencontre sportive bilatérale entre l École de l air et le RAF College de Cranwell. Crédit photo : Armée de l'air, Qu est-ce qui vous divise? Le partage du renseignement reste une difficulté. La confiance mutuelle engrangée entre nous est conséquente. On ne peut bien sûr pas tout partager, mais on peut aller plus loin. 4

5 The FBC in conversation with Général Denis Mercier and Air Chief Marshal Andrew Pulford February 2015 Claire Chick : Air Chief Marshal, how important are the Lancaster House treaties in the British defence relationship with France? Is interoperability at the core of the partnership? Air Chief Marshal Pulford: the Lancaster House Treaties are fundamental to the defence relationship. The ability of our Armed Forces to operate together is central to the partnership. Developing this interoperability is a key aspect of the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force, and we are on track to deliver this by April 2016 as planned. Where we can we are also working together to deliver a common approach to capability acquisition and support, including on the Future Combat Air System, the Complex Weapons initiative, and the agreements to work together to maximise A400M support efficiencies. Your recent visit to N Djamena alongside Général Mercier has shown a great enthusiasm towards Franco-British cooperation: is there a path for a closer rapprochement between PJHQ and CPCO in Africa? UK MOD Crown Copyright 2014 The UK and France have been working increasingly closely together in Africa in recent years. The UK has provided strategic air transport, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and training support to French operations, and UK exchange officers in French posts have deployed with their host units when required. France supported the deployment of UK Tornado reconnaissance aircraft to N Djamena last year to provide the Nigerian Government with ISR information to help its efforts to counter Boko Haram. We have also been developing the relationship between the operational planning staff in the CPCO in France, and in the Military Strategic Headquarters in London and the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, including through the recent Exercise Griffin Blaze. And this cooperation is not confined to Africa the RAF and Armée de l air are also of course operating alongside each other as part of the air campaign against ISIL in northern Iraq. 5

6 The FBC in conversation with Général Denis Mercier and Air Chief Marshal Andrew Pulford February 2015 Could the common culture between French and British Air forces go up to a joint integrated deployment in the near future? Yes, should the British and French Governments choose to conduct such an operation. This is integral to the CJEF concept. As part of that the two Air Forces have agreed a detailed Air Concept of Employment and developed a more detailed Concept of Operations for a Combined Joint Air Component HQ. We have demonstrated our ability to conduct a joint integrated air deployment through a series of exercises, including Joint Warrior and Capable Eagle in 2013, and through subsequent operational experience in Mali. What is the challenge of the FCAS for the RAF? How difficult is the alignment with the expectations of the armée de l air? The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme is a central element of our current programme of equipment cooperation. It has made good progress since it was agreed by the Prime Minister and President Hollande at their January 2014 Summit at RAF Brize Norton, with a two year feasibility and demonstration contract placed last November. The way ahead beyond that will be considered as part of the forthcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review. However we proceed, this programme is looking at least at a 20 year timeframe, at how we might provide the air capability we will require when the Typhoons reach the end of their operating life. The RAF s thinking about how its future combat air capability might be operated in service, nationally or jointly, is therefore at an early stage. Are you an advocate of a Franco-British visibility within NATO? As the two leading European military powers the UK and France are playing a leading role together within NATO as the bedrock of our defence. We both strongly support the package of measures agreed at the Wales Summit and have been taking very similar approaches towards their implementation. We are both important contributors to Alliance actions to reassure Eastern Allies and demonstrate our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. As Framework Nations for the Very High Readiness Joint Taskforce we are both sending the strongest possible signals to others to enhance their contributions to global peace and prosperity. As Framework Nations for the Very High Readiness Joint Taskforce we are both sending the strongest possible signals to others 6

7 The FBC in conversation with Général Denis Mercier and Air Chief Marshal Andrew Pulford February 2015 The UK leadership in the European Air Group is one year on: what is the plan for the remaining twelve months? Is the Group influencing? The key tenet of value for money is still vital to the business of all of the EAG nations this year and the UK is committed to taking forward the good work of the EAG as a relevant and focussed organisation that supports the nations across the full spectrum of Air Power. The EAG will continue to progress a variety of projects to facilitate interoperability and to integrate training in support of Air Operations, Command and Control, Logistics, Communication and Information Systems, Force Protection, Remotely Piloted Air Systems activity and in cooperation with aeromedical best practice. One of the Group s key products has been the establishment of the interim European Personnel Recovery Centre which will relocate to Italy in July 2015 when its Initial Operating Capability will be declared. There will also be exciting work in developing interoperability between 4 th and 5 th generation aircraft. The EAG continues to maintain strong links with other multinational Agencies including NATO, the Movements Coordination Centre Europe, the European Union Military Staff, the European Defence Agency and the European Air Transport Centre. This will ensure it is able to influence developmental work at the tactical and operational levels. UK MOD Crown Copyright What is the domain in which the experience of the RAF benefits the French air force? The Exchange Officer (EO) and Liaison Officer (LO) programme is one of the most important aspects of our military co-operation as we continue to build understanding, interoperability and trust between our armed forces. There are currently just over 30 EOs embedded each way across the Joint Services with additional LOs also in place. Recent air force exchanges have included a UK pilot on Rafale, who deployed to Chad on French operations, a French Typhoon pilot who deployed on UK Baltic Air Policing duties, a UK EO (Lt Col RM) serving with the French in the Central African Republic, and UK and French EOs continue to be directly involved in developing CJEF. In the Middle East, the French GR4 and Voyager EOs have flown with the UK in support of Op SHADER whilst the UK EO on Mirage 2000 has flown French missions over Iraq. 7

8 The FBC in conversation with Général Denis Mercier and Air Chief Marshal Andrew Pulford February 2015 Interview with Général Denis Mercier, English version Claire Chick: General, the co-operation between French and British air forces has worked well for a long time. What have the Lancaster House agreements added to this? General Mercier: The co-operation between the Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l Air rests on a strong historical foundation that took shape at the beginning of aviation. The Second World War helped create a common cultural basis, when French and British pilots learnt to fly in their ally s aeroplanes. The aviator René Mouchotte is an emblematic figure of this pragmatic entente that took place above the Channel. Today, the excellent quality of our relations stems in large part from our common experience within NATO. We are continuously operating together. NATO is a catalyst for interoperability that we are utilising in the Franco-British relationship, allowing us to develop the same reactivity concepts. This harmonisation of procedures and operating concepts is specific to aviators and constitutes a strong basis for co-operation. The contribution of the Lancaster House agreements remains clear: for almost five years, we have been going further in terms of mutual rapprochement, whether on the tactical or the strategic level. What, for example, is the added value of the Combined Vision and Strategy (CVS) established at the end of 2013? Does it enable progression towards a common strategy formulation? The CVS is precisely a tangible product of the 2010 Franco-British treaties. The axes which have been kept in order to advance towards a common influence have opened up five areas of co-operation: C2, ISR capacities, strategic projection, combat and support strength, and lastly education and training. The implementation of the board-to-board strategic committee is a uniquely Franco-British initiative, which we know with no other partner, and which allows us to determine the objectives of our two air forces together. In practice, this is an approach that brings us closer together and enables us to speak with a single voice in international situations. In this respect, the European Air Chiefs Conference (EURAC) and the NATO Air Chiefs Conference (NACS) are platforms where we have the opportunity to come up jointly with proposals and where we can demonstrate our desire to initiate projects by affirming our leadership. On the operational level, when could one speak of a Franco-British air force command to intervene in crisis management? The NATO Response Force illustrates our willingness to share and integrate our capacities. Whenever the Armée de l Air is the leader of the air component, it receives very strong support from the RAF and vice versa. Of course, many other nations are involved, but the French and British command and control capacities are a strength. On the bilateral level, the exercises set up within the framework of the CJEF s intense calendar are highly satisfactory. But the next step must be integration. We must envisage the creation of a Franco-British detachment, and the partnership that has been reinforced by the Lancaster House accords is contributing towards this. In the wake of the evolving defence rapprochement, is there an ambition to share capacity between the Armée de l Air and the RAF? Capacity is above all about a group of people which uses equipment with one employment method and a specific organisation. Capacity sharing is above all about integrating people. And we have started doing this with the British. The implementation of a network of exchange officers is a decisive step in this direction, and, for example, the experience of French and British pilots who alternate between flying the Eurofighter and the Rafale contribute to the confirmation of the quality of the defence partnership. The stronger the operational integration between our two air forces, the more Franco-British capacitysharing becomes achievable. This is true for tanker aircraft and transports, as well as drones. As for FCAS, today it is industry that is shaping the technological choices of But military leaders must also for their part think about the concept of shared capacity. It is a sizeable challenge, but I am optimistic: the shared desire to succeed is real. Are the Chef d Etat-Major de l Armée de l Air and the Chief of the Air Staff instigators of the mutualisation of support materiel at the European level? To preserve the coherence of our equipment, we consider that the implementation of common European norms is a promising area of work. With the EMAR (European Military Airworthiness Requirements), France and the United Kingdom are contributing greatly to efforts to harmonise rules on military airworthiness in Europe. As for support, it is true that the outsourcing practiced by the British for MRTTs prevents us from envisaging co-operation in the field of training and maintenance. The public-private partnership realised through the PFI (Private Finance Initiative) mechanism does not exist in France at this level. Yet in other projects, Franco-British initiatives have been catalysts, as was the case for the development of the European Air Group (EAG) that originated from the Anglo- French air group. Lastly, the Franco-British contract for operational maintenance of the A400M marks the beginning of hitherto unseen co-operation in aeronautical support. The challenge will be to later extend this standardisation effort to the five other partner countries. What priority (or priorities) should be given to the air forces bilateral entente for the next five years? The human factor has to be put at the heart of the Franco-British defence relationship. Our servicemen and women have to meet one another so that tomorrow they can be deployed together. Flyers of all ranks must get to know each other. At present there are frequent meetings and good relations between our senior officers. Our junior officers and NCOs must meet up more often. We were recently in Africa with Air Chief Marshal Pulford, visiting the airmen of the Barkhane force. The meetings at the joint command post of N Djamena and at the fighter and drone detachments allowed us to display our entente and to listen to our units. It would be interesting to exchange our practices in terms of human resources. And, for example, to highlight the question of the language barrier, even though in France a thorough knowledge of English is becoming a criterion of excellence in the recruitment of our personnel. I am sure that soon more RAF pilots will also speak French What divides you? Intelligence sharing remains a difficulty. We cannot of course share everything, but we can go further. 8