As we reported last week, POLARIS is a major operational exercise meant to prepare forces for a high-intensity engagement. POLARIS is actually an acronym which stands for Préparation Opérationnelle en Lutte Aéromaritime, Résilience, Innovation et Supériorité.
“In a confrontation situation that would oppose them to a power using indirect strategies and having recent equipment, the French Armed Forces must be able to propose several military options, covering all environments and fields of conflict in a coordinated and synchronized manner. Acting simultaneously at sea, on land, in the air, in exo-atmospheric space and cyberspace, in the informational and electromagnetic fields, this is precisely what POLARIS 21 is all about.”
French Navy statement
POLARIS 21: A high level of assets
POLARIS 21 takes place for the most part in the western Mediterranean, with inter-theater aspects involving the Atlantic coast of metropolitan France. In these two maritime theaters, the exercise mobilizes the know-how of all the components of the French Navy, including a significant part of the “first rank” fleet of the French Navy, in particular the Carrier Strike Group.
Combat vessels from several allied navies will participate (USA, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), while many foreign liaison officers officers will be inserted in the crews and the embarked staffs. The French Army and Air Force are also taking part.
POLARIS 21 will take place in two phases:
- Phase 1: A warm-up phase on specific high intensity know-how from November 18 to November 25
- Phase 2: A LIVEX phase, from November 25 to December 3, will oppose, under realistic conditions, an interallied aero-naval force gathered around the French CSG (Task force 473) against an OPFOR gathered around the Mistral-class LHD Tonnerre (Task Force 472), representing a the military of a fictitious country dubbed “Mercury”. An air and land assets will play the role of anti-access / area denial (A2AD) in support of the OPFOR.
POLARIS 21: Participating Units
Some 6,000 French and foreign troops, including 4,000 French sailors, are involved POLARIS 21 including 1 nuclear-power aircraft carrier and its airwing (including 20 Rafale Marine and 2 E-2C Hawkeye aircraft), 13 surface combatants including 5 foreign vessels, 1 nuclear-powered attack submarine, 1 LHD and its amphibious units, 6 patrol vessels, 3 supply vessels, 3 flag admirals and their staff, naval special forces units, mine warfare units, several air and anti-air assets.
Blue Force: Task Force 473
Commander: Rear Admiral Christophe Cluzel aboard CVN Charles de Gaulle
Carrier Strike Group:
- Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle
- 20 Rafale M (12F and 17F squadron)
- 2 E2-C Hawkeye (4F squadron)
- 1 NH90 NFH Caiman (31F squadron)
- 2 Dolphin (35F squadron)
- Air Defense FREMM Alsace
- FREMM Provence + NH90 NFH
- Spanish Navy’s Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate Méndez Nuñez
- US Navy Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer USS Porter
- Italian Navy FREMM Carlo Bergamini
- Hellenic Navy Elli-class Frigate Adrias
- In support to the CSG: US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft
Surface Action Group:
- La Fayette-class Frigate Aconit
- FREMM Aquitaine + NH90 NFH (in Atlantic)
- In support to the SAG: Several Atlantique 2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft
- Supply vessel Marne + Alouette III
- Spanish Navy supply vessel Cantabria
Naval Special Forces:
- Commandos Marine aboard Support & Assistance Vessel BSAM Loire
Mine Warfare Group:
- MCM vessel Orion
- MCM vessel Lyre
- EOD teams
Red Force: Task Force 472
Commander: Commander Nicolas Molitor aboard air defense destroyer Forbin
Amphibious Ready Group:
- LHD Tonnerre + amphibious units (13e DBLE)
- Air Defense Destroyer Forbin + Panther
- FREMM Auvergne + NH90 NFH
- Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dragon
Surface Action Group:
- Patrol vessel Commandant Birot
- Patrol vessel Commandant Ducuing
- ASW Frigate Latouche-Tréville (Atlantic)
- In support to the SAG: Several upgraded (Standard 6) Atlantique 2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft flying from NATO air base Sigonella in Italy.
Red force supply vessel:
- US Navy Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler USNS Lenthall
Red force mine warfare unit:
- Diving support vessel Achéron
Land based air defense systems:
- French Air Force’s ASTER 30 SAMP/T Mamba air defense system battery + Girafe radar
- French Army VSHORAD system (Mistral missiles)
Red force air assets:
- Rafale M F3R (11F squadron)
- French Air Force’s Rafale, Mirage 2000 fighters and Alpha Jet aircraft
Note: A French SSN and several E-3 AWACS aircraft belonging to NATO will operate successively for the benefit of both forces.
