Barkhane: Ban on overflight of Algeria by French military planes has already cost "several million euros"

[CEZAYIRLI]

Barkhane : L'interdiction de survol de l'Algérie par les avions militaires français a déjà coûté "plusieurs millions d'euros" - Zone Militaire

Ces dernières semaines, six unités de la force française Barkhane ont été relevées dans le cadre de la réorganisation du dispostif de cette dernière,

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Barkhane: Ban on overflight of Algeria by French military planes has already cost "several million euros"
BY LAURENT LAGNEAU 28 NOVEMBER 2021

In recent weeks, six units of the French Barkhane force have been relieved as part of the reorganization of the latter's system, which is based on five Desert Tactical Groups [GTD] and a commando group.

According to the detail provided by the General Staff of the Armed Forces [EMA] in its last report of operations, the GTD n ° 1 "Korrigan" is now armed by the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment [RIMa] with vehicles Griffon, reinforced by elements of the 5th Dragoon Regiment, the 1st RIMa, the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment [RAMa] and the 6th Engineer Regiment [RG]. Based in Gao, his mission is to carry out combat actions in the region known as the “three borders”.

In Gossi [Mali], GTD n ° 2 “intervention and combat partnership” [IPC] “Auvergne” is supporting the Malian Armed Forces [FAMa] in the Gourma region. It is armed by the 92nd Infantry Regiment [RI], with reinforcements from the 501st Combat Tank Regiment [RCC], the 40th Artillery Regiment [40th RA] and the 13th RG.

Elements of these same units, reinforced by the 16th Bataillon de chasseurs à pieds [BCP], constitute GTD n ° 3 "Salamandre", which operates from Niamey in the Liptako region alongside the Nigerian Armed Forces, within the framework of an Operational Military Partnership [PMO].

S’agissant de l’aéromobilité, le GTD aérocombat [GTD-A] est désormais armé par le 5e Régiment d’hélicoptères de combat [RHC], avec le renfort « d’éléments des autres unités du pilier aérocombat ». Pour rappel, il met en oeuvre 6 NH-90 Caïman TTH, 1 Cougar, 5 Tigre et 4 Gazelle. Trois hélicoptères de transport lourd [HTL] CH-47 Chinook de la Royal Air Force complètent ce dispositif.

Quant au GTD Logistique, il s’appuie sur le 516e Régiment du train [516e RT] et le 8e Régiment du matériel [8e RMat]. Enfin, la 6e Brigade légère blindée [BLB] et la 11e Brigade parachutiste [BP] arment le groupement commando.

These changes have undoubtedly started at the worst time ... Indeed, on October 3, Algeria decided to prohibit access to its airspace to French military planes going to the Sahel, in reaction to comments made by the President Macron.

According to the daily Le Monde, he would have affirmed that, since its independence, obtained almost 60 years ago, Algeria has been "built on a memorial rent", maintained by the Algerian "politico-military system" . And to denounce an "official history [...] totally rewritten" which "is not based on truths" but on "a speech which is based on a hatred of France".

However, the Algerian decision obviously has an impact on French operations in the Sahel, with Air & Space [AAE] army transport planes being forced to bypass Algeria. This lengthens the flight time… and increases the consumption of kerosene.

“Today, the duration of each rotation towards the Sahelo-Saharan strip is extended from 2 hours to 2 hours 30. To keep the payload offered by the A400M, we make a stopover in Dakar”, indeed explained the General Stéphane Mille, Chief of Staff of the Air Force [CEMAAE], in response to a question asked by Christian Cambon, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense.

"To date, I estimate the additional cost of these trajectory adjustments at several million euros," General Mille then indicated, without specifying the exact amount of the invoice ...

Last year, the additional costs of Operation Barkhane were estimated at 911 million euros, due in particular to reinforcements sent to the Sahel after the Pau summit [January 13, 2020]. This year, no estimate has been communicated in favor of the parliamentary hearings of the Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, and of General Burkhard, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces [CEMA].

Anyway, will this ban on French military planes from flying over Algeria last? On November 26, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune hinted that the situation could improve soon. "These relations must return to normal, provided that the other side [France] conceives them on an equal basis, without provocation," he said on public television. "We agree that we treat each other so as not to harm the interests of each party, but we will not accept that we are imposed anything", he said added.

Tags: algeriaair forceAir & Space ArmyBarkhaneCEMAACostsgeneral Millereleveovercostsoverflighttransport