Brigadier General Hubert Doutaud will be present on Monday June 15 at the Eurosatory exhibition, structured around a clear ambition, “Prepare, engage and win in an air-land coalition”.
*ALAT : aviation légère de l’armée de Terre
How do helicopters play an essential role in air-land operations?
General Hubert DoutaudÂ: The role of helicopters remains complementary to that of the other operational functions of the Army, in all compartments of the battlefield.
Their role is essential for medical evacuations, the rapid and remote projection of forces and power to re-establish a balance of power or to gain the upper hand over the enemy, often in places where we do not have enough resources on the ground.
- on the backÂ: their role is essentially logistical, or to participate in area control on short notice but also recently for anti-drone combat of the Shahed type;
- in gaps and intervals: their role is that of attacking or counter-attacking against the enemy who was not expected in these places;
- on the front or the contact lineÂ: they have a role of fire support or attack on vehicles (ideally armored) when the ENI is on the move;
- in the depthÂ: to reduce the capacities of the 2e enemy level, that is to say its long-range fires, its command posts (for example mobile), its logistics centers in particular dispersed, its ground-air defense, its means of electronic warfare. Helicopters also usefully complement the Army’s long-range fire capabilities (currently very limited) to neutralize mobile assets in particular. But access to depth depends on the level of residual anti-aircraft threat and the risk incurred will have to be assessed by the joint chief in view of the issues at stake.
How does aeromobility improve the speed, depth and flexibility of the forces engaged?
Through their mobility, adaptability and reversibility, helicopters provide speed and flexibility in combined arms maneuver. This does not mean that helicopters engage without notice and without preparation. On the contrary, they must be involved as early as possible possible to the possibilities of action so that they are meticulously prepared. The urgency, with which we were used to intervening in counter-insurgency, will no longer be possible in high intensity conflict, especially if it involves intervening in depth. Access to depth will depend on the permissiveness of the moment and the situation. place, because in view of the new transparency of the battlefield and the multiplication of ground-air defense means (including drones), this access is contested and must be prepared with joint means requiring a lot of coordination: destruction of enemy ground-air radars, jamming and decoy operations…
What is the role of tactical projection in modern air-land operations? What are its advantages?
Force projection at the tactical level consists of deploying, in distant terrain compartments, means, most of the time specialized to temporarily produce an effect on the ground or on the enemy. This can result in the application of fire and/or the safe grounding of intelligence, infantry, engineering, artillery, electronic warfare assets… Through its ability to free itself from the terrain, helicopters contribute to changing the balance of power, accelerating a maneuver and to create an effect of surprise But, as mentioned previously, our classic operating methods are challenged by this transparency of the battlefield and the multiplication of sensor-effectors.
How can drones be integrated into air-land operations to enhance their effectiveness?
The drones operated by the helicopters will be essential to complement and reinforce the effect of their weapons and to allow them to access contested terrain compartments. This is a capability that several nations are trying to acquire and which is arriving gradually.
We have undertaken a droneization of our ALAT through in particular a roadmap which is part of the revolution in capacity affairs of the EMA and the DGA and which aims in a few years to equip ourselves with aircraft-launched vehicles (ELA), then with wing drones (more or less heavy) and at the same time to be able to communicate or even take the momentary control of most of the Army’s tactical drones.
What advantages would the combination of helicopters and drones bring to current military missions?
This cooperation with drones, providing for the interweaving of manned-unmanned flights within the Army’s light aviation, implemented from the ground or in flight, should allow us to detect-recognize-identify the enemy as far away and in safety as possible, lure, jam, illuminate targets to carry out shots beyond the direct views allowed by our missiles and soon remotely operated munitions. Medium-range munitions will be a complementary alternative to the use of missiles, rockets and cannons, provided that they can be used. embarked and launched our aircraft With these ELAs and the prospect of one day being accompanied by wing drones, we will be able to multiply our effects and maintain this need for mass which is essential to any operational function of the Army.
