German-French squadron under construction in Evreux

On 30 August 2021, the German Minister of Defence Mrs. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer met with her French counterpart, Mrs. Florence Parly,  in Paris. On this occasion, the two ministers signed the second Inter-governmental agreement on Franco-German cooperation in the field of tactical air transport.

It aims at creating a bi-national squadron and training centre on the Evreux air base, with the purpose of operating a fleet of C-130J aircrafts. This signature will enable the official creation of the Franco-German squadron on 1 September 2021.

Resulting from works launched in 2016, this bi-national tactical airlift fleet is a new major area of cooperation between France and Germany. It will contribute to strengthening the interoperability of both Armed Forces. Within this unit, French and German soldiers will be able to work in mixed teams, without distinction of nationality. While retaining the possibility of carrying out missions within a purely national framework, this is the first time an air force squadron is able to carry out operational missions with mixed crews, on French and German aircrafts. This creation should be considered as a major achievement.

Initial operational capability should be reached in autumn 2021 with the establishment of the unit in Evreux, and full operational capability in 2024.