French armed forces will arrive on British soil in a new first as they join British servicemen in the annual Royal Tattoo in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Some 250 members of the French army, navy, air force and gendarmerie will cross the English Channel to join the military musical spectacular, organisers said today.
For the first time in the event’s history, The Band of The French Foreign Legion, The Mounted Band of La Garde Republicaine, The French Navy Celtic Band and The French Air Force Band are all set to perform.
The move comes after Prime Minister David Cameron and President Nicolas Sarkozy ushered in a new era of Anglo-French defence cooperation with a series of far-reaching treaties in November.
The agreement committed for-ces from both countries to operating together for decades to come and will see the two nations pool troops, aircraft carriers and nuclear testing facilities.
The Royal Tattoo, held in May, will include a live demonstration of British and French personnel working together to undertake a scenario based on a non-combatant evacuation operation. The demonstration will also showcase some of the latest armoured vehicles to enter service with British and French armies.
Major General William Cubitt, General Officer Commanding London District, said: “The Tattoo has always provided the public with an opportunity to recognise the contribution of the armed forces both in the UK and overseas and to congratulate them on the progress they are making, especially in Afghanistan. “The action vignette that will be played out at the event will exemplify the close partnership we have with the French armed forces, which will, I believe, enhance the current positive image of both our nations’ armed forces already deployed in the world in various locations.”
French Attache Admiral Charles-Edouard de Coriolis underlined the importance of “bilateral defence cooperation”, adding: “As peers, the French Armed Forces are very honoured to be invited to the 2011 Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo.
“UK and France are natural partners in security and defence for the reasons that we are similar in size and similar in our capabilities. UK-French bilateral defence cooperation is of huge importance to both of us. We are working on greater inter-operability, maximising our capabilities and our efficiencies to get economy of scale where we can.
“France and UK are stronger together. The Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo is another opportunity to demonstrate that joint inter-operability.”