The French Intervention in Mali: A Lesson in Mission Command by Ollie – Wavell Room
In January 2013, France launched Operation SERVAL to quell the uprising of various militant groups who posed a direct threat to the stability of Mali, a country they have a vested interest in. Their intention was to release Northern Mali from the grip of jihadist occupation and restore sovereignty to the region. The French, under the control of General Berrera, experienced huge successes throughout their intervention, their application of mission command directly attributed to this.
How did the French operate and why did they experience such success with mission command? It comes down to several factors, of which I wish to look at two: Doctrine and Battle Grouping. The French success in Mali, and therefore, the lessons we can learn, must be framed by a few caveats:
First, despite widely reported success of the French military in Mali it should be noted that the region remains extremely volatile. Second, The French approach to small-scale operations can be classed as successful in regard to Op SERVAL; however, it should be noted that these ideas cannot be immediately transferred to Divisional-sized Operations. Op SERVAL was uniquely remote, rural and out of the gaze of media and smart phones, very unlike the characteristics that the FOE concept perceives our future wars to be like…