Japan, Singapore to be France’s Bastille Day honourees
Japan and Singapore will be guests of honour at 2018 Bastille Day parade in Paris, France announced on 28 June, a year after US President Trump enjoyed a front seat at the military display.
Each year the French president invites a country to join in the huge parade down the famous Champs Elysees on 14 July, the country’s national holiday.
Two months after he became president in 2017, Emmanuel Macron hosted Trump at the celebration, which featured Republican Guards on horseback and jets roaring overhead.
In 2018 Macron has invited Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, the French military said, underscoring his attempt to bolster defence ties with partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
Singapore is one of the French Air Force’s main allies in southeast Asia.
The tiny city state has sent scores of fighter pilots for training in France over the past 20 years.
The parade will also celebrate 160 years of diplomatic ties between France and Japan.
The two countries have been invited to send troops to march alongside more than 4,000 members of the French armed forces, police and gendarmerie.
More from Defence Notes
-
Patria OPTIME and ILIAS: Orchestrating operational readiness across every domain
Patria OPTIME is a sustainment concept that integrates MRO and lifecycle services into one solution, powered by the ILIAS digital defence platform
-
US military seeks common controllers for drones and robotic systems
US Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Special Operations Command initiatives signal demand for interoperable uncrewed systems control, creating opportunities for suppliers of hardware, software and integration services.
-
“Start planning much earlier”: delivering defence support in an era of disruption
In Conversation… The geopolitical landscape is increasingly uncertain, with the UK and its allies confronting the most unpredictable international environment for decades. To adapt, defence readiness must begin long before assets reach the front line, forging a resilient support enterprise that can thrive in a time of ongoing disruption, argue the partners of Team ORION.
-
“Communicating at mission speed”: why data security is essential for operational success
In conversation… Everfox’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dave Wajsgras and Managing Director, International, Colin McKinty discuss the critical importance of information security in defence, minimising insider risk and the company’s international growth strategy with Shephard’s Andrew White.
-
“Engage with the operational problem”: how software innovation can boost UK defence
In Conversation… Shephard’s Andrew White talks to Zafer Şen, CEO and co-founder of OBSS, about the future of command-and-control software in the age of artificial intelligence, and his company’s ambitions in the UK defence market.