Brunssum, The Netherlands – Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC Brunssum) hosted Brigadier General Erwan Rolland for a visit to the JFC Brunssum Headquarters, 9th and 10th February.
The French Armed Forces are reliable and fully committed to strengthening NATO on the Eastern flank of Europe
Brig Gen Rolland currently serves as the French National Military Representative (NMR) to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).
Lieutenant General Luis Lanchares, Deputy Commander of JFC Brunssum, personally welcomed Brig. Gen. Rolland on behalf of the JFC Brunssum Commander. He underscored the value of the French staff in the headquarters and France’s wider contribution to ongoing security-related issues currently impacting the Alliance. “The French Armed Forces are reliable and fully committed to strengthening NATO on the Eastern flank of Europe. It is obvious that they are actively contributing to the Alliance’s collective defence.”
The French NMR also met with Lieutenant General Krzysztof Król, Chief of Staff HQ JFC Brunssum. The two generals discussed military planning issues, such as Command & Control, which are vital for the future of the Alliance given the illegal and unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Throughout his visit, Brig. Gen. Rolland maximised his opportunities to meet with French personnel at JFC Brunssum to thank them for their overall efforts and their contribution to the headquarters. Over coffee in the French National Support Element, French personnel had the opportunity to discuss the opportunities and challenges of life in a NATO headquarters.
Note:
From the first days of the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022, France, as a framework nation for the NATO Response Force (NRF), began deploying men, women, and supporting combat capabilities to Europe’s eastern flank. Today, nearly 1,200 French soldiers serve in Estonia, as part of Multinational Battlegroup Estonia, led by the United Kingdom; and in Romania, where France is the framework nation of Multinational Battlegroup Romania. French frigates are also deployed on a regular basis under
Standing NATO maritime group (SNMG) 1 and 2, and four
Rafale fighter aircraft have been deployed in Lithuania since last November to fulfil the
Enhanced Air Policing (eAP) mission.