31.05.2022, 08:59
Zitat:Feedback On French Navy High Intensity Exercise POLARIShttps://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/202...e-polaris/
In a report published by the French Parliament's National Defense and Armed Forces Committee, members of parliament (MPs) review the French Navy (Marine Nationale)'s feedback on the high-intensity exercise 'POLARIS' conducted from November 18 to December 3, 2021. [...]
The realistic scenario of POLARIS 21 aimed to test the multiple capabilities of an air-sea force – the blue force – made up of the French carrier strike group, with nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle at its centerpiece, against a credible opposition force – the red force – gathered around the Mistral-class LHD Tonnerre. To be realistic, the Red forces were equipped with offensive weapons which France does not have but which are proliferating among its competitors, such as the Russian-made anti-ship missiles SS-N-26 Strobile (or P-800 Oniks, Mach 2.2 speed, and 300km range) and SS-N-27 Sizzler (Mach 3 speed, 300km range).
To spice up the scenario, the organizers of the exercise decided to ‘jam’ satellite communications as well as radio exchanges. [...] After the first minutes of combat, it turns out that the result is severe, and this is what the report underlines. In fact, within fifteen minutes of combat, two frigates were sunk and two more were neutralized. 200 to 400 sailors were put out of action, killed or missing. But the result was even worse at the end of the exercise, with a total of eight ships sunk or out of combat.
The exercise highlighted the violence of the engagements and the rapidity of the actions that would probably characterize a high-intensity naval combat in the 21st century. [...]
Also, the French Navy is facing a capability gap with its submarine force due to the Rubis-class “Perle” fire, and the report notes that a force of six attack submarines (SSN) remains small. It suggests that an additional Barracuda-type unit would make sense.
Another shortcoming noted is the lack of capacity for aerial drone systems. The modernization plan does include several programs such as the SDAM (maritime airborne drone systems), which aims to acquire 15 VTOL systems, and the SMDM (mini-UAV program), which will provide the fleet with fixed-wing UAVs, but these will not be completely delivered before 2030. To expand its maritime patrol capability, options are being considered, one of which is the acquisition of MALE UAVs for coastal surveillance and the EEZ in general. [...]
Finally, the feedback from the POLARIS exercise once again showed general lack of ammunition for all kinds of weapons. The rapporteurs express the “urgent” need to reconstitute stocks and production lines of ammunition of all calibers, but especially of so-called “complex” missiles. However, the report insists on the point of not starting an “arms race” but rather meeting the navy’s training and operational needs.
Einige interessante, wie aber auch ernüchternde Erkenntnisse. Was schon öfters angemerkt wurde, ist, dass die modernen Gefechte sehr schnell ablaufen und innerhalb kurzer Zeit beträchtliche Verluste eintreten können. Weitere Punkte: Anzahl der Schiffe und deren Abwehrbefähigungen sowie - was zwar hinsichtlich des Landkampfes nicht neu, aber bzgl. der maritimen Kämpfe doch neu erscheint - die unzureichende Munitionsbereitstellung.
Schneemann