July 14: war wounded honored and nine countries participating alongside France in the European Intervention Initiative

The traditional parade of 14 July was this year under the sign of European cooperation, one of the great battle horses Emmanuel Macron. The head of state presided over the festivities in the presence of several European leaders, including Angela Merkel and Theresa May.

The nine countries participating alongside France in the European Initiative Initiative (IEI), born a year ago under the leadership of President Macron, with the aim of developing a « shared strategic culture », are represented in within the parade that will open on their emblems.

4,300 soldiers, 196 vehicles, 237 horses, 69 planes, 39 helicopters … As every year, it is a perfectly choreographed ballet that runs on the Champs-Elysées. The European military cooperation, dear to President Emmanuel Macron, is one of the central themes of the 2019 edition, concluded with a tribute to war wounded.

The head of state began his review of the troops from the Place de l’Etoile around 10 am, down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees and greet the crowd gathered on the sides of the famous avenue. Some of the audience whistled, « some of the participants said some of them were yellow vests ».

Shortly after 10 am, after Emmanuel Macron’s inauguration of the troops, the traditional parade was opened by soldiers from Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland and the Netherlands. , from Portugal and the United Kingdom, who descended the Champs Elysees with their emblems. Several European planes and helicopters have been integrated into the air show in the skies of Paris.

The first painting of the parade, is dedicated to the defense innovation, priority displayed armies. Robots, drones and exoskeletons used by the military will be deployed instead of the Concorde, in front of the presidential platform, while technological innovations in space, air, land, maritime and cybernetics were presented on the big screen.

Spectators witnessed a futuristic demonstration of Flyboard Air, a flying platform propelled by five jet engines, invented by the world jet-ski champion Franky Zapata of Marseille.

The Air Force has for the first time flown its new Pilatus PC-21 training aircraft, on which future fighter pilots are now trained. The Transall C160 Gabriel, a spy plane very rarely shown, also made a remarkable appearance in the Parisian sky.

The air show preceded the integration including a German A400M transport aircraft and a Spanish C130. Among the helicopters that closed the parade are two British Chinooks.

The final painting of the parade is devoted to the wounded of the armies, echoing the parade of July 14, 1919, opened, 100 years earlier, by the disabled and broken jaws of the First World War. Three residents of the wheelchair Invalides marched alongside three soldiers recently injured in operations, to the sound of the music of the fire brigade of Paris. They were joined by injured athletes, symbols of reconstruction.

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Gabriel MIHAI

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