Scottish infanteers team up with French allies

Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS) gave the Auld Alliance a distinctly modern twist when they represented the British Army on Exercise Gaulish in April.

Normally based in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, the infantry unit deployed its Alpha (Grenadier) Company to France to work with 8 Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marine (8 RPIMa).

Both sets of troops conducted collective training at the Centre d'Entrainement aux Actions en Zone Urbaine (CENZUB) facility, located in the Hauts-de-France region.

Interoperability is a key component in modern warfare, especially within the context of NATO, and the work done by 4 SCOTS strengthens the bond of military cooperation that was codified by the 2010 Lancaster House treaties.

British forces continue to work closely with France on a range of military projects, including the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF).

France and the UK regularly conduct exercises together to reinforce that the CJEF is one of the most important bi-lateral partnerships for UK defence. The security of France, the UK, their people and their interests is mutual.

Exercise Gaulish itself saw the allies complete a training package in urban terrain, with the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), interpreters, and combat service support (CSS) force elements.

Previous iterations of the drills have seen the likes of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles (1 RGR) and the 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (1 R WELSH) enjoy time in France.

Over the past year, 4 SCOTS, known as The Highlanders, has also deployed soldiers on Operation Rescript, providing military support to the NHS in the fight against Covid-19, and to the jungles of Belize on Exercise Mayan Storm.