either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content As Ukraine approaches a crucial moment in its defense against Russian forces, a brigade equipped and trained by France prepares to enter the battlefield The "Anne of Kyiv" brigade—a nod to the medieval Ukrainian princess who became Queen of France—has just completed over two months of rigorous training with French military forces in eastern and southern France The troops operated under the French Army's "Champagne" task force, designed to prepare the nation's allies. The 2,000 Ukrainian troops who trained in France will return equipped with French-supplied tanks, artillery and heavy weaponry while additional troops undergo training in Ukraine This combined force could provide Kyiv with a formidable new unit to counter Russian advances in eastern Ukraine French authorities have confirmed that the "Anne of Kyiv" brigade will eventually include 4,500 Ukrainian troops and specialists, such as engineers and artillery teams. Its arsenal will include 18 AMX-10 light tanks, Caesar artillery pieces, armored soldier carriers and missile systems The new brigade's deployment arrives as Russian forces make significant moves to consolidate their hold in the eastern Donbas region Moscow has reinforced its forces near the Kursk border, with support from up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers, according to reports from U.S. and South Korean intelligence The 2024 U.S. presidential outcome also heightened uncertainty pertaining to the war, as President-elect Donald Trump pledged to end it quickly—a promise that has stirred debate in Ukraine and among its allies Ukraine continues to press forward on multiple fronts Ukrainian forces recently pushed back Russian attempts to control key areas around the city of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region An update from Ukrainian military officials, as reported by Newsweek described Kupiansk as a primary target for Russian shelling due to its strategic position The Institute for the Study of War think tank has highlighted Kupiansk's importance as a logistical hub that could strengthen Ukraine's defensive capabilities in the region. In preparation for conditions they are likely to encounter back home Ukrainian soldiers trained by France have been practicing complex battlefield maneuvers under simulated war conditions including exercises involving trench defense tactics and storming procedures with surveillance drones and live ammunition creating a realistic environment at the French military training camps French military officials overseeing the program said that many of the troops had only basic training before arriving in France in September highlighting the mission's significance in enhancing Ukraine's defensive strategies and technological know-how France's support for Ukraine has been matched by broader European and NATO-backed initiatives. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky support from allies is critical to sustaining morale and enabling Ukraine to keep its momentum in a protracted conflict "We understand very clearly that diplomacy has no prospects without strength," he said in a nightly video address on November 10 "But without a clear understanding of diplomatic goals That's why strength and diplomacy must work hand in hand." With international backing and newly trained forces Ukraine faces both new challenges and strategic opportunities The deployment of the "Anne of Kyiv" brigade will be a key component of Ukraine's response to the mounting pressures on its eastern front "They have improved a lot," Colonel Paul said (The French military withheld his last name "They are able to use the different specialists and to use the different equipment they will have on the battlefield." This article includes reporting from the Associated Press Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. Newsletters in your inbox See all 9 missing after capsized boat washes ashore near San Diego Northeast: Days of showers and storms for some Halley's Comet to set off meteor shower Monday night Soggy South Central states: Intense downpours to renew flooding risk Two people killed when small plane crashes into California homes Staffing shortage causes 7 days of major delays at Newark Airport Coyote drinks from Los Angeles salon's skylight The REAL ID deadline is less than a week away Fungi could be used to build homes one day Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed The CAPCIA 51 RI (Centre d’Appui et de Préparation au Combat InterArmes – 51e Régiment d’Infanterie Combined Arms Combat Support and Preparation Centre – 51st Infantry Regiment) based on the camp of Mourmelon le Grand hosted the unveiling of the new French Army CAM.TAC (Tactical Camouflage) that was shown on a VBMRL (Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Léger) the 4×4 vehicle produced by Nexter and Texelis now in service with the French Armée de Terre which aims at improving stealth and concealment but also represents the new identity signature of the Army was illustrated by officers of the COMMF (Commandement de la Maintenance des Force Forces Maintenance Command) and of the STAT (Section Technique de l’Armée de Terre The project was initiated by the STAT in partnership with the DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement General Directorate of Armament) and the SIMMT (Structure Intégrée du Maintien en condition opérationnelle des Matériels Terrestres the Integrated Support Structure for Land Forces Equipment And Systems) The new camouflage scheme is primarily intended for front line equipment that is currently sporting the “Terre de France” brown single-colour camouflage In due time the new scheme will be adopted on all vehicles The new CAM.TAC presented at Mourmelon is exclusively made of sections of equilateral triangles assembled together to form segmented geometric compositions in order to break the vehicle shape Although geometric shapes have no place in a natural setting with distance the angles become blurred and gain in stealth increasing aiming time when using optical and optronic detection systems A few isolated spots called “chaos spots” complete the disruptive pattern Three theaters of operations were selected: inherited from the former Center Europe camouflage which proved effective in the past • The snow camouflage that adds white and gray the then Ministry of Defence document titled “Colours for the French Ministry of Defence” and first published in March 2009 All new vehicles delivered by manufacturers will display the new European CAM.TAC directly at the factory and in the form of final paint (at Mourmelon green patches were stickers) The major advantage of this patchwork is its ease of reversibility and adaptation to rapid deployment in another theater of operation Like MAT2636 (French army camouflage and markings manual) precise and specific application and distribution diagrams for each machine will be provided to adapt to the requested reversibility and replacement with removable stickers that will be superposed over green colours The CAM.TAC does not foresee any change in the percentage of camouflage to achieve depending on the theater the scheme remains identical and in accordance with the manual This operation will be carried out by the crew itself using adaptation kits provided for each vehicle within a contractually agreed time of four hours According to information gathered by EDR On-Line it seems possible to halve the time required to glue stickers on a complete vehicle Although it was effective at breaking shapes its heat absorbing characteristic generated a heat signature that was showing up too much on thermal imagers once repainted in the Terre de France brown colour it will be the SIMMT that will add the new European patches in its paint shops The static camouflage is completed by the ECR (Ecran de Camouflage Rapide – Quick Camouflage Screen) a camouflage net provided in the base Terre de France brown shade The adoption of ECRs with printed geometric camouflage is under consideration The resistance and the application of the colour patches was tested in different climatic conditions were also evaluated and are submitted as constraints to industrial suppliers The tires are also a source of thermal signature to be taken into account as it shows brightly on thermal imagers Other nations experienced flexible side plates or sidewall painting and such systems proposed by some manufacturers might be considered as camouflage solutions Currently tires camouflage still relies on dust and mud as well as on ECRs and no specific technical project has yet been considered to solve this issue On July 14, 2023, on the occasion of the French National Day, the new camouflage scheme will be shown for the first time to the general public, applied to over 30 SCORPION vehicles which will parade on the avenue des Champs Elysées in Paris Such a reversible camouflage scheme increases flexibility as well as the ease of realization and modification which results in a significant drop in paint costs which marks with a new identity its entry into the 21st century deploying a range of modern and innovative SCORPION combat vehicles Indo Defence – Jakarta – 11-14 June DSEI – London – 9-12 September PARTNER – Belgrade – 23-26 September Seafuture – La Spezia – 29 Sept.-2 October ADEX – Seoul – 29 October-2 November Dubai Air Show – Dubai – 17-21 November Milipol Paris – Paris – 18-21 Novenber Expodefensa – Bogotá – 1-3 December Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" HistoryNet before Jorge Chávez died in September 1910 he made headlines across Europe during a frenetic summer of competitive flying A gifted athlete and recent engineering graduate Chávez—born to wealthy Peruvian parents in Paris—had just earned his international pilot’s license at age 23 He became interested in flying after attending the Great Aviation Week of Champagne in 1909 Paulhan encouraged the young Peruvian to attend the Farman Flight School at Mourmelon-le-Grand and Chávez agreed to purchase a Farman biplane Chávez took part in an exhaustive round of aviation meets throughout Europe he competed on 94 days in his first five months of flying that spring and summer He soon exchanged the Farman for a Blériot XI convinced that the monoplane would serve him better as he aimed ever higher and faster In addition to impressing veteran pilots with his rapidly increasing skill establishing an altitude record of 5,405 feet in England When Italian promoter Arturo Mercanti offered a large purse to the first person to fly over the Alps Chávez joined a group that originally numbered 13 fliers—though that number was quickly thinned to the only two airmen seen as qualified by contest officials Competing with the Peruvian would be American Charles Weymann Bad weather delayed the contest for several days Weymann attempted the Simplon Pass three times—but each time his carburetor iced up before he could achieve sufficient altitude to clear the heights onlookers saw him clinging desperately to his perch reaching the Italian side of the Alps 40 minutes later But as Chávez neared the town of Domodossola in great pain from two broken legs and internal injuries always higher.” Today there are monuments to him in three nations: Switzerland where his legacy includes Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport Originally published in the September 2010 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earhart’s disappearance 2,000-mile horseback journey from the Pony Express stables in St William Frederick Cody (1846-1917) led a signal life from his youthful exploits with the Pony Express and in service as a U.S Army scout to his globetrotting days as a showman and international icon Buffalo Bill “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the world’s largest publisher of history magazines photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians sign me up!