On Sunday, Feb.2, French Defense Minister Florence Parly has confirmed what Gen. François Lecointre, Chief of General Staff (CEMA), had already announced on Jan.22: on top of the 220 troops already sent recently, France will deploy 600 more soldiers in the fight against Islamists militants in Africa’s Sahel, south of the Sahara.
 |
| Equipped with an HK 416 rifle, F3 combat gear and SMB/E ballistic modular structure, the army's "Combatant 2020" is now a player in the Sahel-Saharan theatre. The vest was used during the Barkhane force operation in Liptako (Picture source: French MoD) |
