POLARIS 2021
One of the largest French maritime maritime exercises in the Mediterranean, POLARIS 21 (Préparation Opérationnelle en Lutte Aéromaritime, Résilience, Innovation et Supériorité), took place from November 18 to December 3, 2021 in the area west of the island of Corsica, between France and Spain. The exercise also included a segment on the Atlantic coast of mainland France.
POLARIS 21 was set up entirely in the context of operational preparation on several fronts and has a high combat intensity, which is fully in line with the strategic vision of the Chief of the Armed Forces and the Mercator Acceleration 21 plan of the Chief of Staff of the Admiral of the French navy Pierre Vandier. In addition to naval warfare, the exercise also included the participation of many combat aircraft and surface-to-air defense.
The aim of the training is to test the capabilities of the sea and air elements to face future wars, using the latest systems and naval vessels to develop tactics. The scenario of the exercise was to enable the Allies to maintain control of the Mediterranean in the event of threat from the Russian air force and navy.
The exercise scenario consisted of two troops (Blue and Red), BLUE consisting of the French Carrier Strike Group (CSG), centered around the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91), against a RED FORCES credible opposition force ( OPFOR), gathered around the Mistral-class left-hand drive 'Tonnerre'. The exercise also completed preparations by the Charles De Gaulle carrier group for its next operational deployment due to begin in February 2022.
In total, the exercise saw the participation of 23 ships, one submarine, 65 aircraft and 6,000 personnel. Partner nations joining the exercise came from Greece, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
POLARIS 21 was divided into two phases:
• Phase 1: A warm-up phase from November 18 to November 25
• Phase 2: A LIVEX phase, from November 25 to December 3, opposed, under realistic conditions, an inter-allied air force gathered around the French CSG (Taskforce 473) against an OPFOR gathered around the Mistral class LHD Tonnerre (Task Force 472), which represents the military of a fictional country called "Mercury".
The air elements participating within the two Task Forces consisted of:
Photo/images via Marine Nationale