Overview
- Army Chief of Staff Pierre Schill told lawmakers that French forces could deploy in support of European security guarantees for Ukraine as early as 2026.
- He said the land forces can respond to three simultaneous alerts, one of which could involve a deployment related to Ukraine.
- Schill cited a national emergency mobilization that can field about 7,000 troops within 12 hours to five days, alongside NATO's first-level alert as a core posture.
- He highlighted the Orion 26 exercises next year as a large-scale test of coalition coordination and interoperability.
- The remarks followed Defense Staff Chief General Fabien Mandon's warning that France must be prepared for a possible confrontation with Russia within three to four years.