French Army

The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (English: Land Army), is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest. As of 2008, the army employs 133,947 regular soldiers and 24,000 civilians^[1]. Giving it a total of 157,947 active troops. All soldiers are now considered professionals, following the suspension of conscription voted in parliament in 1997 and effective as of 2001. Just like the Armée de l'Air, the Marine Nationale and the Gendarmerie Nationale it is placed under the responsibility of the french government. The current Chief of Staff of the French Army (CEMAT) is general Elrick Irastorza.

During the professionalisation process, numbers dropped from the 1996 236,000 (132,000 conscripts) to around 140,000.^[2] By June 1999, the Army's strength had dropped to 186,000, including around 70,000 conscripts. Thirty-eight of 129 regiments were planned to be stood down from 1997-99. The previous structure's nine 'small' divisions and sundry separate combat and combat support brigades were replaced by nine combat and four combat support brigades.

During the Cold War, the French Army, though not part of NATO's military command structure, actively planned for the defence of Western Europe.^[3] II Corps (France) was stationed in South Germany, and effectively formed a reserve for NATO's Central Army Group. In the 1980s, III Corps headquarters was moved to Lille and planning started for its use in support of NATO's Northern Army Group. The Rapid Action Force of five light divisions was also intended as a NATO reinforcement force.

Organisation

The army is divided into different Corps or armes. These units retain both symbolic and non symbolic and administrative values.

Troupes de Marine composed of:
- Marine Infantry (Infanterie de Marine, including parachute regiments such as 1er RPIMa and light cavalry such as RICM)
- Marine Artillery (Artillerie de Marine)
Foreign Legion (Légion étrangère)
Armoured Cavalry (Arme Blindée Cavalerie)
Artillery;
Army Light Aviation (Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre - ALAT), including combat helicopters;
Military engineers (Génie Militaire);
Infantry,
- including specialist mountain infantry (Chasseurs Alpins)
Maintenance (Matériel)
Logistics (Train)
Signals (Transmissions)
Commissary

The operational organisation of the Army combines units from various Corps in 17 Brigades.

Equipment

Infantry armour and combat system

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Name ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |---- | SPECTRA helmet | France | Protection helmet | Using SPECTRA fiber from Honeywell |---- | FÉLIN | France | Infantry combat system | 31,455 units to be delivered. |---- |}

Standard issue weapons

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Standard Issue Weapons ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Diameter ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Pistols |---- | PAMAS | Italy/ France | Standard service pistol | 9mm | Modified version of the Beretta 92, also called Beretta 92F. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Rifles |---- | FAMAS F1 | France | Standard service rifle | 5.56mm | Older version of the FAMAS. The FAMAS can also fire rifle grenades such as the AC58 or the APAV40. |---- | FAMAS G1 | France | Standard service rifle | 5.56mm | Enhanced version of the FAMAS F1. |---- | FAMAS G2 | France | Standard service rifle | 5.56mm | Enhanced version of the FAMAS F1. |---- | FAMAS FELIN | France | Standard service rifle | 5.56mm | Version designed to be used with the FELIN. |---- | PAPOP | France | Future rifle | 5.56mm | To be deployed along with FELIN infantry, combines a rifle and a 35mm grenade launcher. |---- | Colt Canada C7 rifle | United States/ Canada | Special forces rifle | 5.56mm | Used by the French special forces. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Sniper rifles |---- | FR F2 | France | Standard sniper rifle | 7.62mm | Most used sniper rifle by the French army. |---- | PGM Hecate II | France | Heavy sniper rifle | 12.7mm | Largest sniper rifle of the French army. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Infantry mortars |---- | LLR 81mm | France | Mortar | 81mm | Exists in different versions. |---- | LGI Mle F1 | France | Mortar grenade launcher | See note | Can fire either 51mm explosive grenades, 51mm smoke grenades or 47mm flash grenades. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Infantry machine guns |---- | FN Minimi | Belgium | Machine gun | 5.56mm | Light machine gun. |---- | Browning M2 | United States | Machine gun | 12.7mm | Heavy machine gun. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Vehicle machine guns |---- | AA-52 machine gun | France | Machine gun | 7.5mm | Vehicle mounted machine gun. |---- | FN MAG | Belgium | Machine gun | 7.62mm | Helicopter mounted machine gun. |---- |}

Portable missiles

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Name ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Antitank missiles |---- | FGM-148 Javelin | United States | Heavy antitank missile | France ordered 76 launchers and 380 missiles to complement its antitank missiles. |---- | MILAN | France/ Germany | Standard antitank missile | Exists in different versions, can also be mounted on vehicles. |---- | ERYX | France | Short range antitank missile | Has limited anti-helicopter capabilities. |---- | AT4 | Sweden | Light antitank missile | Light 84mm missiles, named "Anti Blindé Léger" in France. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Surface to air missiles |---- | Mistral missile | France | Surface to air missile | Can be mounted on vehicles too. |---- |}

Tracked armoured vehicles

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Name ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Number ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Main battle tanks |---- | AMX-56 Leclerc | France | Main Battle Tank | 406 | Different batches presently used, 82 early models could be retired. |---- | AMX-30 B2 | France | Main battle tank | 17 | Now used to train recruits. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Recovery vehicles |---- | Leclerc MARS | France | Recovery vehicle | 20 | Recovery vehicle variant of the Leclerc MBT. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Infantry fighting vehicles |---- | AMX-10P | France | Infantry fighting vehicle | 1050 | Tracked infantry fighting vehicle, to be replaced by the VBCI. |---- | Bandvagn 206 | Sweden | Tracked articulated all-terrain carrier | 150 | Bought from Sweden to be used in Afghanistan, include a 12.7mm machine gun. |}

Wheeled armoured vehicles

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Artillery

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Helicopters

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Helicopter ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Number ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Attack helicopters |---- | Eurocopter Tiger | France/ Germany | Attack helicopter | 80 units ordered | 40 Tiger HAP delivered, 18 Tiger HAD delivered late 2008. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport helicopters |---- | NH-90 | France/ Germany/ Italy/ Netherlands | Transport helicopter | 34 | 34 for the French Army Light Aviation, with an option for 34 more helicopters. |---- | EC 725 Super Cougar | France | Long range tactical transport helicopter | 8 | Used by the French Army Light Aviation. |---- | AS 532 Cougar | France | Multipurpose helicopter | 28 | Also exists in a Combat Search and Rescue version. |---- | Puma | France | Transport/utility helicopter | 107 | Exists in many different versions. |---- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Light helicopters |---- | Gazelle | France | Light helicopter | 278^[5] | Used in different variants. |---- | Fennec | France | Light helicopter | 18 | Training helicopter. |}

Planes

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Name ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Number ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |---- | SOCATA TBM 700 | France | Transport plane | 12 | Used by VIPs. |---- | Pilatus PC-6 | Switzerland | Training plane | 6 | Used for training purpose. |}

Principles and values

The principles and values of the French Army are formulated in the Code of the French Soldier:

(...) Mastering his own strength, he respects his opponent and is careful to spare civilians. He obeys orders while respecting laws, customs of war and international conventions.(...) He is aware of global societies and respects their differences. (...) ^[6]

References

^ "Armée française : structure et effectifs - Médias - MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Jane's Defence Weekly 31 July 1996 and 13 March 1996, IDR July 1998
^ Kamps, Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985
^ [1]"Projet de loi de finances pour 2005" includes information on the French military procurements".
^ [2]Link to the French senate
^ Original French : (...) Maître de sa force, il respecte l’adversaire et veille à épargner les populations. Il obéit aux ordres, dans le respect des lois, des coutumes de la guerre et des conventions internationales. (...) Il est ouvert sur le monde et la société, et en respecte les différences. (...) : [3]

External links

Template:Fr icon Official website
French Military Reform: Lessons for America's Army?, George A. Bloch (includes explanations of the structure of command)

[1] "Armée française : structure et effectifs - Médias - MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[2] Jane's Defence Weekly 31 July 1996 and 13 March 1996, IDR July 1998

[3] Kamps, Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985

[4] [1]"Projet de loi de finances pour 2005" includes information on the French military procurements".

[5] [2]Link to the French senate

[6] Original French : (...) Maître de sa force, il respecte l’adversaire et veille à épargner les populations. Il obéit aux ordres, dans le respect des lois, des coutumes de la guerre et des conventions internationales. (...) Il est ouvert sur le monde et la société, et en respecte les différences. (...) : [3]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e Vehicles of the French Army
Armoured cavalry	ERC 90 Sagaie EBRC Jaguar AMX-30 AMX-10 RC AMX Leclerc AMX-10P AuF1 VAB VBL VBCI VBMR Griffon
Artillery, transport and combat engineering	AuF1 MLRS TRF1 Caesar Peugeot P4 ACMAT SYRANO EBG EFA DNG
French Army Light Aviation	Alouette III Gazelle Puma Super Puma Tiger Fennec Cougar NH90