DefenceTalkKey ministers from France and Niger met on Friday as French forces revamp their mission in the Sahel following a planned pullout from Mali. Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrived in the Nigerien capital late Thursday. Their joint visit aims to “represent the combined civilian and military” support given by France, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/french-foreign-defence-ministers-in-niger-as-mali-pullout-nears-79091/

DefenceTalkTwin attacks in Mali this week have killed 16 soldiers and wounded 18, the army said late Tuesday, in the latest violence sweeping the Sahel state. The statement lifted the casualty toll of four soldiers dead and 17 injured in separate attacks Monday in the northeast and center of the conflict-torn country. Thirty-seven “terrorists” were […]https://www.defencetalk.com/mali-attacks-leave-16-soldiers-dead-78482/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe Special Forces are getting ready to participate in the multinational task force Takuba, part of the French-led Operation Barkhane, at the turn of the year 2020/2021. The expansion of armed terrorist groups in the region is detrimental to peace, security and development. The task force is charged with counselling, supporting and escorting parts of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/swedish-special-forces-prepare-to-deploy-to-mali-76286/

DefenceTalkA crew from 99 Squadron have been assisting French troops in sub-Saharan Africa by delivering supplies to the Op Barkhane counter-insurgency efforts in Niger by C-17 Globemaster. The aircraft delivered several pallets of cargo to Niamey airport in Niger over the weekend, helping to keep the 3,000 strong French forces supplied during their on-going efforts […]https://www.defencetalk.com/raf-transports-french-army-equipment-to-mali-for-counter-insurgency-operations-69109/

DefenceTalkThe German Defence Procurement Agency (BAAInBw) and Airbus Defence and Space have signed a contract to provide Heron 1 surveillance drones to support the Bundeswehr mission in Mali. Similar to the mission in Afghanistan active since 2010, the unmanned aerial systems will be leased from Israeli manufacturer IAI and operated by Airbus. Military missions will […]https://www.defencetalk.com/airbus-to-operate-heron-1-drones-for-germany-in-mali-67876/

DefenceTalkFor Malian troops making their first forays into the country’s north since jihadists took control, French military support provides reassurance at a time when they are strangers in their own back yard. Islamist militias linked to Al-Qaeda — some foreign fighters but most homegrown jihadists — seized the vast expanse of desert in 2012, effectively […]https://www.defencetalk.com/mali-troops-get-reacquainted-with-lost-north-64465/

DefenceTalkFrench Army operations in Mali (Operation Serval) in 2013 provide a model for designing and operating an expeditionary force, one that has a number of attributes and competencies that United States Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno has indicated to be requirements for the Army. The model therefore provides a living example that illustrates […]https://www.defencetalk.com/frances-war-in-mali-lessons-for-an-expeditionary-army-60828/

DefenceTalkFrance has delayed plans to pull troops out of its former colony Mali after a fresh bout of clashes in a key town. France said earlier this month it was ending its “frontal war phase” in Mali after sending troops there in 2013 to free the country’s vast desert north from Islamists and Tuareg rebels […]https://www.defencetalk.com/france-defers-troop-pull-out-after-mali-clashes-59688/

DefenceTalkBy Jody Ray Bennett In January 2013, US military officials finalized a Status of Forces (SOFA) agreement with the government of Niger to increase military involvement throughout the country. While the move clearly reflected developments in neighboring Mali, it had long been an operational goal of the Pentagon to establish a drone base in the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/niger-new-drone-base-highlights-a-shift-in-us-west-african-relations-47985/

DefenceTalkChad’s 2,000-strong contingent in Mali, which has played a leading part in the fight against militants, on Saturday officially joined the regional African force deployed there. “As of today, our Chadian brothers who are fighting to liberate Mali are joining AFISMA,” Ivorian army chief Soumaila Bakayoko, whose country currently chairs the regional bloc ECOWAS, told […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chad-joins-african-force-in-mali-47097/