EXERCISE COR TEXT: JORIS VAN BOVEN AND ALEX VAN NOIJE PHOTOS: JORIS VAN BOVEN UNLESS STATED
From 27 September until 15 October 2021, the Naval Air Mobile Group (GNAM – Groupe Naval AéroMobile) conducted the Exercise CORMORAN 21 in the Mediterranean Sea. This is an exercise in projecting power from the sea to the land. Some 1,500 soldiers from the French Navy (Marine Nationale) and the Army (Armée de Terre) were engaged in this high-intensity exercise. For the first time, a GNAM consisting of two amphibious helicopter carriers, the PHA Tonnerre and PHA Mistral, deployed with two airmobile groups with a total of 24 combat helicopters, as well as a support group. This gave the exercise planners an 'ambitious'
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task, which was heard often during the interviews. Two amphibious helicopter carriers will give double striking power, but also a double 'planning burden' to have all ships and helicopters at the right place at the right time. More planning, more communication, and more synchronization were needed by the French Navy, the French Army and the boarded Army helicopters of the ALAT (Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre). Each amphibious helicopter carrier had 12 helicopters on board, the PHA Tonnerre carried the helicopters of the 1RHC, and the PHA Mistral a mix of 3RHC and
Three EC665 Tigre AHD's and one NH helicopter carriers L9013 Mistral (ba
