The France returns in NATO the technology

Côte d'Ivoire will become a theatre of operation "connected". Operation Unicorn, the army will to experiment with its first war in network. Since a few days, the 6th light armoured brigade began the projection of 2,500 of its 6,000 men. It is she who will test for the first time in a theatre of operation field of the 'biffins intranet. Because the military like nothing, as long as real-life situations to test their new "toys". Initiated several years, this technological revolution of digitization of the battlefield now affects ordinary soldiers. Or almost, because, for the moment, only the AMX-10 RC of the Panzer Regiment received their equipment, two posts of connection and their radio generation.

"It is the first time that we will deploy the full chain of digital command," explains colonel Defretin, responsible for mission on the subject to the staff. The armoured to staffs, manoeuvres will be managed electronically in real time. "We will especially consider the logistics of these systems, see how Electronics is in heat, moisture, dust, etc.," said colonel Bruno Beth, Deputy of the brigade. The SIR system for the regiment was already tested in Kosovo last year but this time, the military will also have SIT terminals.

The field is the small revolution hope the other ranks. Finished the blows of every wire for the progression of a unit. Finished silences radio during the manoeuvres. The communication on network restores a fluid sharing of information. The words should not mislead so far. It is far here of libertarian culture of the canvas. Step of discussion forums, parentheses-smiles or diaries. A few kilobits of flow, conciseness is improvised. Military intranets allow that e-mails and a few images. And again, step any what e-mail: standard networks provides only 18 types of messages. Such field provided in the code of the recipient, another order, such as other reference material to repair.

This formatting of the information is needed for automatic treatment. The military however found in exercise that is too restrictive: "18 formats are not sufficient to describe situations, we would like to more nuances," argues Bruno Beth.

This concept of employment has been validated recently during a grand exercise, "rand" conducted in the South of Limoges. ". For ten days, 7,000 men have simulated a conflict where the 6th brigade aligned its connected armoured. For colonel Beth, who lived these simulations in two regiments: "It was a success." So far, the technical work dominated the network war exercises. With Anville, it is passed to the tactical work.

The France, a pioneer

In his position of command (PC), colonel of the regiment has a much better view of the situation of his troops and logistics. May obtain information on simple electronic application. The system then returns him the data refreshed automatically or manually every 15 - 30 minutes by the captains of the companies. Conventional PC get in General that of comprehensive reports every six hours.

The interest of the sharing of information is verified: when a regiment of engineering barriers to slow the progression of the enemy, the other infantry, armoured and artillery units know in real time the progress of the work and the barrier plan. The gain of time is also valuable. "When it should take twenty-five minutes of telephone network to send a specific order, 50 seconds enough message now", explains Lieutenant Colonel song in "Earth Magazine".

D'anville also to test new operational concepts as mobile command. SIR systems installed in the VAB vehicles can effectively geographically separated the two teams of any PC, which manages ongoing operations and to prepare future manoeuvres. "It has interest to keep the first closer to the front that she intervene in crisis situations, while can be further relegated the second." Anville has shown that a separation of 60 km to work. "A collection exercise showed the contribution of the networks for coordination. In this scheme of retreat before the enemy, the armoured units are recovered by the rear.

The army provides other experiments before the massive deployment of its intranet. Its initial deadline is 2009, the date to which the staff wants to be ready to deploy on any theatre two digital brigades, the 6th light armoured brigade and the 2nd armoured brigade. This last at the as receives its Leclerc tanks equipped with terminals. Gradually, the divisions will also receive the future equipment of the infantryman, the feline system designed by Sagem. This futuristic gear provides a package of mobile communication. Military tested for this purpose the Brutus of Thales system, worn on the wrist.

In 2011, the soldiers hope to have a network of interoperable networks. This convergence will also with different networks of the army of the air and the Navy, followed by those of the NATO allies. The Americans, the British and the French are planning to test at the end of the year in Afghanistan a bridge between their systems.

The French also come to test an innovative case: "biffins" have installed their SIR in a maritime reconnaissance plane Breguet Atlantic. " They directly relayed to ground stations information on enemy gleaned in the air. Experimentation foreshadows the future network of networks in which a fighter aircraft can digitally take information from troops on the ground.

Several years of experience are still needed. It remains a few technical problems as shown Anville with regular drives overruns. The practice of technology will also refine to do not fall into the shortcomings encountered by the Americans in Iraq. The excessive use of messages forced them to human in the loop. Colonel Defretin warned that radio will remain always used: "the direct contact with the head is indispensable."

According to experts, the French took the advance in Europe in this field. But after 2013, the major nations will be all connected at the same level. The France returns in NATO the technology.