France to engage private company to train Ukrainian military

France will engage a private company to train Ukrainian soldiers, in part due to the lack of instructors and interpreters in the military.

The Forces Operations Blog reported on this.

On August 28, the French Ministry of Armed Forces signed a framework agreement with Défense Conseil International (DCI) based on the tender results.

The initial contract is for 12 months and is currently valued at €24 million. However, according to the framework agreement, it can be extended twice for a similar period.

As noted, this framework agreement with a limited amount of €48 million will enter into force on October 1 “subject to the receipt of export licenses for services that require it.”

The French army’s cooperation with Défense Conseil International to train Ukrainians should compensate for the army’s lack of instructors and interpreters and enhance training opportunities.

The media notes that the requirements for private companies that want to join the training of the Ukrainian military, published in March last year, were divided into three positions.

One for training on the implementation and maintenance of weapon systems transferred by France to the Ukrainian Defense Forces, including VAB armored personnel carriers and AMX-10RC armored fighting vehicles.

Another provides training services for battalion-level infantry command posts.

The third concerns providing collective training for Ukrainian units by translators from Ukrainian, French, English, or Polish.

In July, the French TV channel France 3 Champagne-Ardenne reported that the French government expects 2,100 Ukrainian soldiers to arrive in the country at the end of September, where they will undergo a two-month military training course.

This program aims to form a brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by December 2024 as part of defense assistance.