Defence forces demonstrate innovations

The military parade served as occasion for defence forces to showcase skills and equipment.

The military parade in front of the Head of State, Paul Biya, senior government officials and special guests at the 20th May Avenue in Yaounde, the hallmark of celebrations marking the 42nd edition of Cameroon’s National Day on May 20, 2014, was an occasion for the defence forces to showcase skills, equipment and preparedness to preserve territorial integrity, stability and socio-economic development.

The military parade was full of innovations starting from the Commander of the troops. In previous years, the military parades were commanded by brigadier generals but the 2014 edition was commanded by Major General Saly Mohamadou, Commander of the Second Combined Military Region. He was assisted by the female Colonel Bella Nkotto Anne.

In previous years, visiting military contingents during National Day celebrations were from Cameroon’s neighbouring countries but the 42nd National Day registered a key innovation with the visiting contingent of 160 elements from the National Army of Côte d’Ivoire.

The most perceptible innovation was that of the Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion, BBR specialized in rapid intervention due to its mobility and fire strength in combat missions. It demonstrated a march past in a purely operational plan. Military sources indicated the innovation in the motorized march past being a mounted squadron-07P 30mm 8x8 deployed by two platoons of investigation and harassment as well as the armoured tank destroyer CARA 105mm 6x6 in three platoons.

The key innovation in the Air Force was the remarkable integration of the female folk into the Air Force as co-pilots C 130, mechanics, platoon heads for squares. The Air Force also demonstrated a reinforcement of organization at the level of logistics and the environment for technical maintenance of aircraft, acquisition of new service equipment and training of specialists.

There was also a veritable synergy among the different vectors of the Air Force, an example being the flight of the MA 60 and the Aplha jets.

The motorized unit of the Military Engineering Corps paraded with some of the recently acquired public works equipment