Training and efficient cooperation between Romanian and French soldiers
Soldiers from the 634th Infantry Battalion in Piatra Neamț have recently held a joint training event with French soldiers from the NATO Battle Group in Cincu.
Agenția Media a Armatei, 30.04.2025, 14:26
Soldiers from the 634th Infantry Battalion in Piatra Neamț (northeastern Romania) have recently held a joint training event with French soldiers from the NATO Battle Group in Cincu (center). Together they organized two exercises. One of these was in the Tarcău Mountains Training Camp, where participants from the two armies carried out training activities specific to living and fighting in the mountainous environment. A complex field exercise was also held there. François is a lieutenant in the French army and led the detachment in his country. He said: “The time I spent here was beneficial for several reasons, especially for the exercises and inter-allied operations, because at Cincu, where my platoon is stationed, we work with both the Spanish and Belgian armies, but also with soldiers from the Romanian Army, who come to the camp there to train with us. Here, at Piatra Neamț, I had a very good experience, especially because the soldiers here are specialized in infiltration and gathering information from the enemy. So, it is something we do not do every day. We are a mechanized infantry unit. Here we worked with a light infantry unit and it was interesting to exchange procedures, experience, and obviously, to improve the cohesion between the Romanian and French soldiers, on the training field,” the French officer said.
Another exercise took place at the Gârleni training ground in Bacău County (northeast). It was a good opportunity for the Romanian military to get used to the equipment of their French partners, and later they carried out live fire exercises, together using several categories of weapons. Here we also met the leader Mateo, who was in our country for the first time. He told us that he was very pleased with what he found in Romania: “It was a very rich experience. I learned a lot about the Romanian army, about the skills of the soldiers here, about weapons, but also other aspects. It was really great and I discovered new things about our allies. This exercise shows us how our partners work and also helps us adapt to their fighting techniques.”
The participants had the opportunity to share their previous experiences with each other, which allowed for a better understanding of how each of the two forces acts in an operational context. Among those present at the range was Corporal Lukas, who said that the training in mountainous terrain was beneficial for his comrades: “This is my first time in Romania. It was a good opportunity to train with soldiers from the Romanian Army, but also with those from other armies. We shared a lot of experiences with them and trained in different environments, such as trenches or mountains, so it was a good moment. It is interesting what we learned from each other, so that we can fight better together, if necessary in the future. Romanian food is great. I was in Brașov (center) some time ago and tried some traditional dishes. It was delicious. The people were very friendly and we felt very well treated here. I think Romania is a wonderful country. If in the future I have the opportunity to go back and train again with the Romanian army and the other armies here, I would do it without any hesitation”, said Corporal Lukas from the Army of the French Republic.
Currently, the NATO Battle Group deployed in Cincu brings together soldiers from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Spain. Since its establishment, France has been the framework nation. This year, the main challenge of the battle group is the “Dacian Spring” exercise, which will involve expanding the force to the level of a brigade, approximately 5,000 soldiers. (EE)
