Photo Of The Day: TFB’s daily articles with photos like these are as close as most people ever get to Special Operations. We get a hint about what kind of uniforms, gear and equipment is being used, as well as how it’s mounted. Here we have French soldiers in Operation Monclar in Mali with various firearms from Heckler & Koch. Above you can just see the spotter behind the spotting scope and the designated marksman behind what I think is a Heckler & Koch HK417.

From March 3 to 23, the “Dragon” Desert Battle Group (GTD) led a succession of combined missions in the Gourma region of southern Mali as part of Operation MONCLAR. This major operation saw the simultaneous deployment of 1,700 soldiers of the Barkhane force, and 3,000 Malian, Nigerien and Burkinabè soldiers of the joint force of the G5 Sahel. By combining its efforts with partner forces, GTD “Dragon” optimized the desired mass effect on the ground during this operation. As a result, several terrorists were put out of action and many resources were seized.

“The mission of the Dragon Desert Battle Group was to intervene in the region known as the interior Gourma and to carry out reconnaissance on points of interest in a convergent movement with the other units of the Barkhane force and the joint forces of the G5 Sahel “Explains Colonel Guerry, commanding the GTD” Dragon “.

The “Dragon” GTD consisted of a tactical staff, a desert tactical sub-group (SGTD), a disembarked engagement assistance section (SAED) and a liaison detachment placed alongside a Malian company.

“We acted in direct coordination at the tactical level with the Malian army on the ground. The grouping maneuver was joint, that is to say that we assigned the missions as well to the Barkhane force sub-grouping as to the Malian company. This is the heart of the combat partnership at work between the force and the national armed forces, “said the corps chief.

These two separate units worked in the field, under the orders of the GTD “Dragon”. In particular, the VBCIs offered the French SGTD great mobility and excellent protection against the dangers that mines or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) can represent, while providing substantial firepower with the help of its automatic cannon. 25mm.

In addition, throughout the operation, drones and fighter planes stationed in Niamey provided ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) and fire support. In fact, the effectiveness of the force has been multiplied by the coordination of means.

Sources : État-major des armées and EMA.