Foreign Legion Live-Fires HK416F On WESSEX STORM

French Foreign Legion Paras from the elite Deuxième REP have live-fired the Heckler & Koch HK416F on Exercise WESSEX STORM 2020.

~

The UK MoD yesterday releases images, taken last week, of French Paratroopers from the elite 2e Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes (2e REP) on the live-fire phase of Exercise WESSEX STORM on Salisbury Plain Training Area; the assault rifles used were the Heckler & Koch HK416F replacement for the FAMAS.

The extended captions issued with the images state:-

• French Soldiers from 2e Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes have conducting live fire tactical training (LFTT) on Salisbury Plain, as part of Exercise WESSEX STORM 2020.
• The French unit is training alongside the 2 PARA Battlegroup so that British and French airborne forces are ready to deploy together on short notice missions.
• The joint military force is now able to deploy 10,000 personnel to respond to shared threats.
• They can also carry out tasks such as high-intensity operations, peacekeeping, disaster relief or humanitarian assistance.
• The CJEF was established as part of the defence and security, and on nuclear cooperation treaties signed at Lancaster House by the UK and France in 2010.
• The UK and France are deployed around the world together in places such as the Middle East to combat Da’esh and Estonia as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence. In Mali 3 RAF Chinooks and 100 UK personnel are deployed in a non-combat role in support of French counter-extremist operations.
• The UK will continue to cooperate with our European partners in the future following the UK’s departure from the EU. We will continue to be a key player in Euro-Atlantic security and defence through our leadership in NATO, which will always be central to the UK’s security, our values and our place in the world.