Russian-French exercises with the participation of the Normandie-Niemen squadron will be held in 2013
Russia and France agreed to hold joint exercises with the Normandie-Neman squadron in 2013, ITAR-TASS reported with reference to the commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, Viktor Bondarev, who took part in the celebration of the 70 anniversary of the legendary aviation unit.“The French colleagues proposed to conduct joint exercises,” said Lieutenant General Bondarev. “We will hold them next year with the participation of the reconstructed Normandie-Neman squadron.
In turn, Colonel-General Jean-Paul Palomero, Chief of Staff of the French Air Force, stressed that the Normandie-Niemen squadron "has always been and will remain an excellent example of French-Russian friendship." “Let us continue to work hand in hand,” he added.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, which took place today at Mont-de-Marsan airbase in south-western France, Palomero handed over a helmet with the emblem "Normandy-Neman" to the Russian colleague.
In France, the memory of the feats of the pilots of the famous squadron, on whose account were 5240 combat missions, is cherished. In June of this year, the Mont-de-Marsan base became the successor of the Normandie-Niemen traditions, adopting the standard of the legendary part. As part of today's ceremony, the parade of aircraft was held with the participation of the famous Yak-3, which was the main striking force of the squadron. In the 21st century, the reconstructed Normandie-Niemen will include the Rafale 20 fighter aircraft of the last modification.
The agreement on the formation of the Soviet-French squadron was signed at the height of the Second World War, in November 1942, on the initiative of the leader of the “Fighting France”, General Charles de Gaulle. For this purpose, French volunteers 72 arrived in the Soviet Union - pilots and mechanics. Initially, the squadron wore the name "Normandy", and in the autumn of 1944 for heroism in battles during the crossing of the Neman River, the air unit already transformed into a regiment began to be called "Normandie-Neman".
During the fighting on the Soviet-German front, the regiment pilots destroyed almost 300 enemy aircraft. In June, 1945, at the end of its mission, the Normandie-Neman returned to France. In the post-war years, by agreement between Moscow and Paris, the remains of French aviators buried in the Soviet Union were transferred to their homeland. In 2006, Vladimir Putin and Jacques Chirac opened a memorial dedicated to the Russian-French fraternity in Le Bourget. arms.
It is symbolic that the Mont-de-Marsan base, where celebrations on the occasion of the 70 anniversary of the regiment are being held today, bears a Russian name. In the registry of the Ministry of Defense of France, its full name is 118-I Air Force Base named after Colonel Rozanov. This French military pilot of Russian origin participated in the Air Battle for France during the Second World War. After graduating, Konstantin Rozanov, becoming a test pilot, was the first in France to break the sound barrier.
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