📋 Tender Overview
On July 23, 2026, Prime Minister Luc Frieden awarded the Officers Medal in the Order of the Oak Crown to Air Force General Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the French Republic, in the presence of Defense Minister Yuriko Backes and General Steve Thull, Chief of Staff of the Luxembourg Army. Gallery 1 (from left to right) General of the Air Force Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the Armies of the French Republic; Luc Frieden, Prime Minister (c) ME (from left to right) Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defense; General of the Air Force Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the Armies of the French Republic (c) ME Group photo (c) ME High Luxembourg decoration to General of the Air Force Fabien Mandon (c) ME (middle) Luc Frieden, Prime Minister; General of the Air Force Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the Armies of the French Republic (c) ME Illustration (c) ME (from left to right) General Steve Thull, Chief of Staff of the Army; General of the Air Force Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the Armies of the French Republic (c) ME General Mandon has distinguished himself by his constant commitment to strengthening Franco-Luxembourg military cooperation. The establishment of the binational battalion of Luxembourg hunting guides relies closely on French support, both in terms of doctrine and training. In this capacity, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the French Republic played a decisive role as facilitator in the realization of the battalion, which constitutes to date the most ambitious capability project of the Luxembourg Army. You played a decisive role in the coalition of volunteers for Ukraine and in favor of a Belgian-Luxembourg battalion, which embodies the bold vision of a Europe of defense. This initiative shows the way towards a more integrated and more united European defense, underlined the Prime Minister, welcoming the contributions of General Mandon to bilateral military cooperation and European defense. This distinction recognizes your exceptional merits as well as your decisive contribution to the development of the Franco-Luxembourg strategic partnership in the service of European defense, underlined Minister Backes. The visit was also an opportunity for the two chiefs of staff to discuss Franco-Luxembourg military cooperation as well as Luxembourgs commitment to the collective defense of the Alliance during a bilateral exchange. Since 2023, the Luxembourg Army has contributed to NATOs deterrence and defense posture on its south-eastern flank through the integration of a reconnaissance platoon within the NATO multinational battle group, deployed in Romania as part of the Forward Land Forces (FLF). The permanent presence of this multinational battalion under French command illustrates the determination and capacity of the Allies to collectively ensure the defense of the Alliance. In view of the arrival, planned in 2028, of the Jaguar armored reconnaissance vehicles, a Luxembourg unit is affiliated with the French 2nd armored brigade (2eBB) from 2026. This affiliation allows the Luxembourg Army to familiarize itself with French procedures and tactics, to strengthen interoperability between the two armies and to prepare for future operational engagements, while perpetuating its contribution to the FLF mission in Romania.
