In Brief ~ Exercise COLIBRI LI Underway

The annual COLIBRI airborne exercise in now underway in France, reports Carl Schulze.

Between the 23rd and 26th April 2018 some 300 paratroopers of the 11e Brigade Parachutiste are training in southern France between Puivert and Lavelanet; I am following  the exercise with my camera. (Vom 23. bis zum 26. April 2018 üben zwischen Puivert und Lavelanet in Südfrankreich 300 Fallschirmjäger der 11e Brigade Parachutiste. Ich bin mit der Kamera dabei.)

JOINT-FORCES will hopefully bring viewers a detailed feature on Exercise COLIBRI LI (51) at a later date, but in the meantime here are a few images from the opening phase.

Footnote: The UK-hosted multinational Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 18 has also commenced this week with naval and amphibious forces operating off Northwest Scotland and airborne and mechanised forces operating in Southwest England and Wales, but as much of the Land Forces action is taking part on private or closed access land we are regrettably unable to provide comprehensive coverage.

French Paras emplaning [© Carl Schulze]

View from the Drop Zone [© Carl Schulze]

Mortar line set up beside DZ [© Carl Schulze]

Tabbing into action [© Carl Schulze]