13e DBLE: Exercise Skrenvil 2021 alongside U.S. Marines, with new Griffon vehicles

Between late May and early June 2021, legionnaires with the 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE) participated in an amphibious exercise, Skrenvil 2021, to strengthen enhanced interoperability between the French Army, the Navy, and U.S. Marines.

Not long afterward the Exercise Arc-21 in Japan, the 13e DBLE men once again trained alongside U.S. Marines and their comrades with the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG).

Exercise Skrenvil 2021 took place in the Mediterranean and along the coast of Corsica and Hérault (department in southern France), between May 25 and June 3, 2021. A joint tactical task force (GTE) consisting of 210 men from the 6th Light Armored Brigade was embarked on the French helicopter carrier Dixmude. The men belonged to the 13e DBLE (2nd Company), 1er REG, and the 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment (3e RAMa). U.S. Marines with 3rd Platoon, Echo Company, 2d Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment completed the task force, commanded by the 13e DBLE. Along with them, a detachment from the 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment (5e RHC) was also present on the carrier: 60 soldiers, three Caiman Land helicopters, two Tiger helicopters and one Gazelle helicopter.

The exercise’s task was to train a quick bilateral response following a crisis in Malamiko, a fictional African country with a large French community whose security is threatened. As part of the exercise, French Foreign Legion elements and U.S. Marines conducted an amphibious landing in Valras-Plage, southern France. The 13e DBLE men were testing their new VBMR Griffons, used within the regiment only since this March.

As a result of the exercise, the legionnaires and U.S. Marines strengthened cooperation between the forces. During the exercise, the legionnaires were visited by General Donovan, U.S. 2nd Marine Division commanding general.