Modern equipment and uniform of the French Army

Infantry equipment

Weapons

The FAMAS is the service rifle of the French military.

The Félin electronic systems allow firing while maintaining cover

• MAC 50 - 9 mm - pistol
• Manurhin MR73 - .38 Spc/.357 Mag - revolver (GIGN only)
• GIAT BM92-G1 (PAMAS-G1) - 9 mm - pistol (Gendarmerie, Air force & Army)
• HK USP - 9 mm - pistol (HK USP Compact for Navy, HK USP in Army)
• SIG SP 2022 - 9 mm - pistol (Gendarmerie)
• FAMAS - 5.56 mm assault rifle
• SIG 550 - 5.56 mm assault rifle (Navy, Army & Gendarmerie)
• HK416 - 5.56 mm assault rifle for special forces
• HK G36E - 5.56 mm assault rifle (Navy, Army & Gendarmerie)
• M4 & CAR15 - 5.56 mm assault rifle used by French special forces
• M16 rifle - 5.56 mm assault rifle used by French special forces
• FR-F2 - 7.62 mm- sniper rifle
• FRG2 - 7.62 mm- sniper rifle in Air force
• PGM Ultima Ratio - 7.62 mm- sniper rifle
• HK G3 - 7.62 mm- DMR rifle
• HK417 - 7.62 mm- DMR rifle for French special forces
• Sako TRG-42 - 300 Winchester Magnum- sniper rifle for French special forces
• PGM Hecate II - 12.7 mm heavy sniper rifle
• MAT-49 - 9 mm - SMG
• HK MP5 - 9 mm - MP5F by HK & GIAT
• HK UMP- 9 mm - SMG
• Mini UZI- 9 mm - SMG
• LGI Mle F1 - individual grenade launcher
• FN MINIMI - 5.56 mm & 7.62 mm light machine gun
• ANF1 - 7.62 mm light machine gun
• FN MAG - light machine gun
• M2 - 12.7 mm heavy machine gun
• APILAS - anti-tank rocket launcher
• AT4 CS - anti-tank rocket launcher
• ERYX and MILAN - anti-tank missiles (now Milan II)

The Glock 17 is used by certain naval and parachute units of the French Army.

Other equipment

The SPECTRA helmet with electronic equipment of the Félin system

Infantry equipment of the French Army : helmet, shrapnel-proof vest, kepi.

• SPECTRA helmet
• Félin - infantry combat system

Vehicles

Tanks

Leclerc.

• Leclerc - main battle tank (406)
• AMX 10 RC - light tank (300)
• ERC 90 Sagaie - reconnaissance combat vehicle (192)
• AMX 30B2 - main battle tank (17 used for OPFOR training)

Armoured personnel carriers

• Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (VBCI) - armoured personnel carrier (200 active, 700 total order)
• AMX-10P - tracked armoured personnel carrier (1050)
• Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé (VAB) - wheeled armoured personnel carrier (3800)
• Véhicule Blindé Léger (VBL) - light armoured vehicle (1100)
• Petit Véhicule Protégé - small protected vehicle (354 and 1500 from 2015)
• Véhicule articulé chenillé Haute Mobilité (VHM) - armoured personnel carrier (12 active, 191 on order)
• Buffalo (mine protected vehicle) (5)
• Nexter Aravis (15)
• Sherpa 3 (33 ordered)

Unarmoured vehicles

TRM 10000

P4.

• Peugeot P4 - utility 4x4 vehicle (13 500)
• TRM 10000 - heavy truck
• TRM 2000 - medium truck
• GBC 180 - medium truck (5500)
• VLRA - light truck
• VPS - Special Forces

Engineering vehicles

• AMX-30 EBG - combat engineering vehicle (71)

Artillery

Surface to surface artillery

AuF1.

• AMX 30 AuF1 - 155 mm self-propelled howitzer (174)
• LRM - multiple rocket launcher (41)
• CAESAR - 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer (77)
• TRF1 - 155 mm towed howitzer (105)
• RTF1 - 120 mm mortar (361)
• LLR 81 mm mortar

Anti-aircraft artillery

• Mistral - very short-range surface-to-air missile
• Roland 2 - short-range surface-to-air missile (80)
• 20 mm Mle F2 - anti-aircraft gun

Aircraft

Helicopters

Tigre.

• Tigre - attack (80)
• NH-90 - tactical transport (68 to replace the Puma from 2011)
• Fennec - training/liaison (18)
• Cougar - tactical transport (23)
• Puma - tactical transport (90)
• Gazelle - attack, reconnaissance and utility (265)
• Cougar Horizon - airborne battlefield surveillance radar (4)

UAVs

Sperwer.

• Crecerelle - tactical reconnaissance (12)
• CL-289 - tactical reconnaissance (54)
• Sperwer - tactical reconnaissance (18)

Aeroplanes

• TBM 700 - liaison/utility (8)
• Pilatus PC-6 - light transport (5)
• Reims-Cessna 406 Caravan II - liaison/utility (2)

Dress uniform

A bugler of the French Marines in dress uniform, during the Gulf War.

EMIA cadets in parade uniform, during the Bastille Day Military Parade.

In the 1970s France adopted a light beige dress uniform which is worn with coloured kepis, sashes, fringed epaulettes, fourragères and other traditional items on appropriate occasions. The most commonly worn parade dress however consists of camouflage uniforms worn with the dress items noted above.

The legionnaires of the French Foreign Legion wear white kepis, blue sashes and green and red epaulettes as dress uniform, while the French Marines wear blue and red kepis and yellow epaulettes. The sappers of the French Foreign Legion wear the basic legionnaire uniform but with leather aprons and gloves. The Chasseurs alpins wear a large beret, known as the "tarte" (the pie) with dark blue or white mountain outfits. The Sphahis retain the long white cloak or "burnous" of the regiment's origin as North African cavalry.

Sailors of the French Navy and Fusiliers Marins wear a dress uniform dating from the nineteenth century with a distinctive red pom-pom on the crown of the round cap.

The infantry and cavalry of the Republican Guard retain their late 19th century dress uniforms, as do the military cadets of Saint-Cyr and the École Polytechnique. A medium blue evening dress for officers is now seldom seen but individual branches or regiments may parade bands or "fanfares" in historic dress dating as far back as the Napoleonic period.

External links

• Official website of the French Ministry of Defense (in French)
• Les hélicoptères de l'armée de terre : situation et perspectives - Report from the French Senate (in French)
• Le rôle des drones dans les armées - Report from the French Senate (in French)
• Projet de loi de finances pour 2003 : Forces terrestres - Report from the French Senate (in French)
• Projet de loi de finances pour 2007 : Défense - Forces terrestres - Report from the French Senate (in French)