Bastille Day: Striking footage from a parade designed as a 'true military operation'
GalleryAmid ongoing international instability, the event featured a speech delivered by Emmanuel Macron to the military. Photographer Julien Muguet, a regular contributor to Le Monde, documented the military ceremony.
Organized as a "true military operation," in the words of the military governor of Paris, General Loïc Mizon, the Bastille Day parade reflected mounting tension over continental security. Through this year's event, military authorities wanted to highlight forces "ready to deploy" for operations, illustrating both the "operational credibility" of the French military and its "strategic solidarity" with international partners.
About 7,000 service members − both women and men − took part in the parade, including 5,600 on foot. The aerial component featured 65 aircraft (including five from foreign nations) and 34 helicopters. On the ground, 247 vehicles were involved, alongside 200 horses from the French Republican Guard.
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