'Corsican Lion' concludes

French and UK forces have successfully completed the first major test of the two nations' newly formed Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) following a 10-day training exercise conducted in the Mediterranean Sea in late October.

Exercise 'Corsican Lion', which concluded on 26 October, saw French and UK warships, aircraft, and amphibious forces put through their paces in a joint event designed to test the interoperability of land, naval, and air forces from both sides of the channel.

Set up as a result of the November 2010 Lancaster House treaty, the CJEF is a ready-made task group configured to respond to global events at short notice. 'Corsican Lion' is part of a larger effort that will end in 2016 when the full CJEF concept is complete.

By then, the French and UK forces should be fully capable of projecting a flexible, powerful early entry force composed of two battle groups - one from each country - each with up to 2,000 troops. This force should be able to deploy in less than 30 days for up to three months with support from air and naval assets.