Chef d'escadron
Encyclopedia
In the French armed forces (and in the armed forces of former French colonies
such as the armed forces of Niger
), Chef d'escadron is the title of a commandant
(major
) in the Artillery and Baggage Train Corps and in the Gendarmerie.
In the Armoured Cavalry Corps, the equivalent rank is Chef d'escadrons, in the Infantry and the Combat Engineer Corps, it is Chef de bataillon
.
Confusingly, escadrons in the actual French army's Armour and Baggage Train Corps are company
equivalents and therefore typically commanded by a capitaine.
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
such as the armed forces of Niger
Military of Niger
The Niger Armed Forces comprises both the military and national police services of the West African nation of Niger, totaling around 12,000 active personnel and 5,000 reservists...
), Chef d'escadron is the title of a commandant
Commandant (rank)
Commandant is a military or police rank. In the French, Spanish and Irish armed forces it is a rank equivalent to major. In South Africa for most of the second half of the 20th century, commandant was a rank equivalent to lieutenant-colonel in other countries.-Ireland:Commandant is a military...
(major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
) in the Artillery and Baggage Train Corps and in the Gendarmerie.
In the Armoured Cavalry Corps, the equivalent rank is Chef d'escadrons, in the Infantry and the Combat Engineer Corps, it is Chef de bataillon
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
.
Confusingly, escadrons in the actual French army's Armour and Baggage Train Corps are company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
equivalents and therefore typically commanded by a capitaine.