French Army - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Land Army), is the land-based

Army

An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...

and largest component of the French Armed Forces.

As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription

Conscription

Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...

, voted in parliament in 1997 and effective as of 2001. Just like the Armée de l'Air

French Air Force

The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...

, the Marine Nationale

French Navy

The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...

and the Gendarmerie Nationale it is placed under the responsibility of the French government. The current Chief of Staff of the French Army

Chief of Staff of the French Army

The Chief of the Staff of the French Army is the professional head of the French Army. The current Chief of Staff of the French Army has been General Elrick Irastorza since 2 July 2008.-French Army Chiefs of Staff:*Raoul Le Mouton De Boisdeffre...

(CEMAT) is general Bertrand Ract-Madoux.

History

The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, was established under Charles VII of France

Charles VII of France

Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...

. From 1792, the French Revolutionary Army

French Revolutionary Army

The French Revolutionary Army is the term used to refer to the military of France during the period between the fall of the ancien regime under Louis XVI in 1792 and the formation of the First French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804. These armies were characterised by their revolutionary...

fought the allies. Under Napoleon I

Napoleon I

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...

, the French Army conquered most of Europe during the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

. In August 1914, the French Armed Forces numbered soldiers. During the First World War the French Armed Forces reached a size of soldiers, of which about 300,000 came from the colonies. During the war around 1,400,000 soldiers were killed. It was the most deadly conflict in French history. The main generals were: Joseph Joffre

Joseph Joffre

Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre OM was a French general during World War I. He is most known for regrouping the retreating allied armies to defeat the Germans at the strategically decisive First Battle of the Marne in 1914. His popularity led to his nickname Papa Joffre.-Biography:Joffre was born in...

, Foch

Foch

-People with the surname Foch:*Ferdinand Foch , Marshal of France and Allied Supreme Commander in World War I*Nina Foch , Dutch actress-Other uses:...

, Mangin

Mangin

Mangin may refer to:* Charles Mangin, a French general* Patrice Mangin, a forensic pathologist* Jean-Pierre Mangin, a French philatelist* Mangin mirror, in optics, a type of back surface concave mirror...

, Degoutte, Philippe Pétain

Philippe Pétain

Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...

, Nivelle

Nivelle

-References:*...

, Franchet d'Esperey, Raspail and Maurice Sarrail

Maurice Sarrail

Maurice-Paul-Emmanuel Sarrail was a French general of the First World War. Sarrail endeared himself to the political elite of the Third Republic through his openly socialist views, all the more conspicuous in contrast to the Catholics, conservatives and monarchists who dominated the French Army...

(See French Army in World War I

French Army in World War I

During World War I, France was one of the Triple Entente powers allied against the Central Powers. Although fighting occurred worldwide, the bulk of the fighting in Europe occurred in Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Alsace-Lorraine along what came to be known as the Western Front...

).

At the beginning of the war, the French Army was wearing the uniform of the Franco-Prussian War

Franco-Prussian War

The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...

of 1870, but the uniform was maladopted to the trenches, and so in 1915 the Army replaced the uniform, with the Adrian helmet

Adrian helmet

The M15 Adrian helmet was a combat helmet issued to the French Army during World War I. It was the first standard helmet of the French Army and was designed when millions of French troops were engaged in trench warfare, and head wounds became a frequent cause of battlefield casualties...

replacing the képi

Kepi

The kepi is a cap with a flat circular top and a visor or peak . Etymologically, the word is a borrowing of the French képi, itself a respelling of the Alemannic Käppi: a diminutive form of Kappe, meaning "cap"....

. A uniform with a capote

Capote

-People:* American writer Truman Capote** Capote , a film starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote* Capote Band of Utes, a branch of the Ute people-Other:* Capote , Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse...

, of bleu-horizon colour adopted to the trenches, was adopted, and the uniform for colonial soldiers coloured khaki.

At the beginning of the Second World War the Army deployed 2,240,000 combatants grouped into 94 divisions

Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

(of which 20 were active and 74 were reservist

Reservist

A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed...

s) from the Swiss border to the North Sea

North Sea

In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...

. These numbers were limited to 12% of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

forces, however, the Army of the Alps facing Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

and 600,000 men dispersed through the French colonial empire

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...

are not included in this figure. After 1945, despite enormous efforts in the First Indochina War

First Indochina War

The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...

of 1945–1954 and the Algerian War of 1954–62, both lands eventually left French control.

During the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

, the French Army, though not part of NATO's military command structure, planned for the defence of Western Europe. In 1977 The French Army switched from multi-brigade divisions to smaller divisions of about four to five battalions/regiments each. After 1977, II Corps (France)

II Corps (France)

The 2nd Army Corps was first formed before World War I. During World War II it fought in the Campaign for France in 1940 and during the 1944-45 campaigns in southern France, the Vosges Mountains, Alsace, and southwestern Germany...

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

Lille

Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...

and planning started for its use in support of NATO's Northern Army Group

Northern Army Group

The Northern Army Group was a NATO military formation comprising four Western European Army Corps, during the Cold War as part of NATO's forward defence in the Federal Republic of Germany.- History :...

. The Rapid Action Force of five light divisions was also intended as a NATO reinforcement force. In the late 1970s an attempt was made to form 14 reserve light infantry divisions, but this plan, which included the recreation of the 109th Infantry Division, was too ambitious. From June 1984, the French Army reserve consisted of 22 military divisions, administering all reserve units in a certain area, seven brigades de zone de defence, 22 regiments interarmees divisionnaires, and the 152nd Infantry Division, defending the ICBM launch sites.

In February 1996 the President of the Republic decided on a transition to a professional service force, and as part of the resulting changes, ten regiments were dissolved in 1997. The specialist brigades were transferred on 1 July 1997 to Lunéville for the engineers, Haguenau (the artillery brigade) and Strasbourg (engineers). The 2nd Armoured Division left Versailles on 1 September 1997 and was installed at Châlons-en-Champagne in place of the disbanding 10th Armoured Division. On 5 March 1998, in view of the ongoing structural adoptions of the French Army, the Minister of Defence decided to disband III Corps, and the dissolution became effective 1 July 1998. The headquarters transitioned to become Headquarters Commandement de la force d'action terrestre

Commandement de la force d'action terrestre

The Commandement des Forces Terrestres is the new appellation of the Commandement de la Force d'action Terrestre . It is the High command of the land forces of the French Army.The CFT is under the orders of the État-major de l'armée de terre...

(CFAT) (the Land Forces Action Command).

During the late 1990s, during the professionalisation process, numbers dropped from the 1996 236,000 (132,000 conscripts) to around 140,000. By June 1999, the Army's strength had dropped to 186,000, including around 70,000 conscripts. 38 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. The Rapid Action Force, a corps of five small rapid-intervention divisions formed in 1983, was also disbanded, though several of its divisions were re-subordinated.

In 1999 the Army issued the Code of the French Soldier, which includes the injunctions:

Organisation

The organisation of the army is fixed by Chapter 2 of Title II of Book II of the Third Part of the Code of Defense, notably resulting in the codification of Decree 2000-559 of 21 June 2000.

In terms of Article R.3222-3 of the Code of Defence, the Army comprises:

The Army Chief of Staff (Chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre (CEMAT)).
The army staff (l'état-major de l'armée de terre (EMAT)), which gives general direction and management of all the components ;
The Army Inspectorate (l'inspection de l'Armée de terre) ;
The Army Human Resources Directorate (la direction des ressources humaines de l'armée de terre (DRHAT));
The forces ;
A territorial organisation (5 land régions: Île-de-France, Nord-Ouest, Sud-Ouest, Sud-Est et Nord-Est);
The services ;
The personnel training and military higher training organisms .

The Army is divided into Corps or armes. They include the Troupes de Marine

Troupes de marine

The or Infanterie de marine, formerly Troupes coloniales, are an arm of the French Army with a colonial heritage. The Troupes de marine have a dedicated overseas service role. Despite their title they have been a part of the Army since 1958...

, composed of Marine Infantry (Infanterie de Marine), which includes parachute regiments such as 1er RPIMa and light cavalry such as the RICM

RICM

The RICM, in French Régiment d'Infanterie de Chars de Marine is a light cavalry regiment of the French Army belonging to the "Troupes de Marine". It is part of the 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade of the French Army and is currently based in Poitiers. The Regiment is the most decorated of the...

, Marine Artillery (Artillerie de Marine), the French Foreign Legion

French Foreign Legion

The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...

(Légion étrangère), the Armoured Cavalry Branch

Armoured Cavalry Branch

The Armoured Cavalry Branch is a component of the French Army. It was formed after the World War II by merging tank and cavalry branches. It operates the majority of France's armoured vehicles, though a small minority of France's armour is still operated by infantry regiments. It continues the...

(Arme Blindée Cavalerie), the Artillery, the Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre (ALAT, which translates as Light Aviation of the Land Army), including combat helicopter

Helicopter

A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

s; Military engineer

Military engineer

In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...

s (Génie Militaire); the Infantry, which includes the Chasseurs Alpins, specialist mountain infantry, Maintenance Matériel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....

; Logistics (Train); Signals (Transmissions); and Commissariat (Commissariat de l'armée de terre

Commissariat de l'armée de terre

The Commissariat de l'armée de terre is the commissariat branch of the French Army. Its equivalent for the French Navy is the Commissariat de la marine and for the French Air Force the Service de l'administration générale et des finances de l'armée de l'air - a member of any of these three is...

).

The operational organisation of the Army combines units from various Corps in 17 Brigades under the Commandement des Forces Terrestres. In 2011 CFT directs the Corps de réaction rapide France

Corps de réaction rapide France

Created on 1 July 2005, Headquarters Rapid Reaction Corps-France is a French headquarters, NATO certified, able to command a national or multinational land component of between 5 000 to 60 000 personnel....

, two Etat-Major des Forces (division-level headquarters), the 1st Mechanised Brigade

1st Mechanised Brigade (France)

The 1st Mechanised Brigade is a mechanised unit of the French Army. The brigade is heir to the honours and traditions of the 1st Armoured Division, created during World War II.-History:...

, the 2nd Armoured Brigade

2nd Armoured Brigade (France)

The 2nd Armoured Brigade is an armoured unit of the French Army. It is heir to the honours and traditions of the 2nd Armoured Division commanded by Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque....

, the 3rd Mechanised Brigade

3rd Mechanised Brigade (France)

The 3rd Mechanised Brigade is a mechanised unit of the French Army.It maintains the traditions of the World War II 3rd Algerian Infantry Division which were later carried on by the 3rd Armored Division.- Composition :...

, the 6th Light Armoured Brigade, the 7th Armoured Brigade

7th Armoured Brigade (France)

The 7th Armoured Brigade is an armoured unit of the French Army. It carries on the traditions and honours of the 7th Armoured Division.- Composition :*The Squadron Light and Investigation of Verdun "The eyes of the general"...

, the 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade

9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade (France)

The 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade is a light armoured, amphibious unit of the Troupes de marine of the French Army.- Composition :*Headquarters Poitiers...

, the 11th Parachute Brigade

11th Parachute Brigade

The 11th Parachute Brigade is an airborne unit. It contains most of the parachute units in the French army.The brigade numbers around 8,500 personnel and includes eight regiments. It is under command of a général de brigade...

and the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade

27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (France)

The 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade is a mountain infantry formation of the French Army. It is heir to the traditions of the 27th Alpine Division, the division alpine FFI créée in 1944,...

Infantry armour and combat system

SPECTRA helmet

The SPECTRA helmet or CGF Gallet Combat Helmet is the ballistic helmet currently in use in the French military, as well as in the armies of several other countries. Built by CGF Gallet , it weighs , is available in two sizes, and is made from Spectra fibers, produced under license from Honeywell...

Early Modern France
| Protection helmet
| Using SPECTRA fiber from Honeywell

Honeywell

Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....

, built by CGF GALLET.
|----
| FÉLIN

Félin

FÉLIN is the name for the French infantry combat system of the 2000s....

Early Modern France
| Infantry combat system
| Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons Intégrés, designed by Safran

SAFRAN

Safran is a French conglomerate involved in defense, aerospace propulsion and equipment, and security. It is the result of a merger between the propulsion and aerospace equipment group SNECMA and the defense conglomerate SAGEM. Its headquarters are located in Paris.The name Safran, literally...

, 31,455 units to be delivered.
|----
| SCORPION

Scorpion

Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...

Early Modern France
|Program similar to the FCS

Future Combat Systems

Future Combat Systems was the United States Army's principal modernization program from 2003 to early 2009. Formally launched in 2003, FCS was envisioned to create new brigades equipped with new manned and unmanned vehicles linked by an unprecedented fast and flexible battlefield network...

| Synergie du COntact Renforcé par la Polyvalence et l'InfovalorisatiON, project to be designed by Thales Group

Thales Group

The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...

in association to Safran and Nexter

Nexter

Nexter is a French government-owned weapons manufacturer.-Products:...

.
|----
|}

Standard issue weapons

Beretta 92

The Beretta 92 is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The model 92 was designed in 1972 and production of many variants in different calibers continues today...

Italy/

Early Modern France
| Standard service pistol
| 9mm
| Modified version of the Beretta 92, also called Beretta 92G
|----
|----
| MAC-50

MAC mle 1950

The MAC-50 is a standard semi-automatic pistol of the French army and adopted in 1950. It replaced the previous series of French pistols, the Modèle 1935A & Modèle 1935S, and was produced between 1950 and 1970....

FAMAS

The FAMAS is a bullpup-styled assault rifle designed and manufactured in France by MAS located in Saint-Étienne, which is now a member of the French government-owned Nexter group...

Early Modern France
| Standard service rifle
| 5.56mm
| Standard French rifle. The FAMAS can fire rifle grenade

Rifle grenade

A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade was thrown by hand...

s such as the AC58

AC58

The AC 58 is an anti-armour rifle grenade used by the French Army. Its official French Army designation is Grenade à fusil antichar de 58 mm Mle F1 PAB.-Design:...

or the APAV40

APAV40

The APAV 40 is a 40 mm anti-personnel rifle grenade used by the French Army.-Design:The APAV 40 is a dual purpose, anti-personnel and anti-vehicle , 40 mm rifle-grenade...

.
|----
|----
| M4 Carbine

M4 Carbine

The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...

PGM Hecate II

The Hecate II is the standard heavy sniper rifle of the French Army, sometimes known as the FR-12,7 .It is manufactured by PGM Précision of France...

LGI Mle F1

The lance-grenade individuel Mle F1 is a French close-support weapon infantry weapon designed to be used by one man, which provides soldiers with a lightweight indirect-fire support weapon akin to a small mortar...

LLR 81mm

The Mortier de 81mm léger long renforcé is a mortar used by the French Army. It is the latest iteration of the TDA 81 mm light mortar family, introduced in 1997.The original TDA 81 mm was designed in 1961...

FN Minimi

The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...

FN MAG

The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...

Belgium
| Machine gun
| 7.62mm
| Helicopter mounted machine gun
|----
|}

Portable missiles

FGM-148 Javelin

The FGM-148 Javelin is a United States-made man-portable third generation anti-tank missile fielded to replace the Dragon antitank missile.-Overview:Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance...

United States
| Heavy antitank missile
| France ordered 76 launchers and 380 missiles to complement its antitank missiles
|----
| MILAN

MILAN

MILAN " is French and German for "kite bird") is a European anti-tank guided missile. Design of the MILAN started in 1962. It was ready for trials in 1971, and was accepted for service in 1972. It is a wire guided SACLOS missile, which means the sight of the launch unit has to be aimed at the...

Early Modern France/

Germany
| Standard antitank missile
| Exists in different versions, can also be mounted on vehicles
|----
| ERYX

ERYX

ERYX is a short-range portable SACLOS-based wire-guided anti-tank missile produced by European company MBDA. It is used by several countries, including the Canadian Army, French, and Norwegian armies. The weapon can also be used against bunkers and pillboxes. It also has some capability in the...

Early Modern France
| Short range antitank missile
| Has limited anti-helicopter capabilities.
|----
| AT4

AT4

The AT4 is an 84-mm unguided, portable, single-shot recoilless smoothbore weapon built in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics...

Mistral missile

Mistral is an infrared homing surface-to-air missile manufactured by the European multinational company MBDA missile systems . Based on the French SATCP , the portable missile later to become the Mistral began development in 1974...

Early Modern France
| Surface to air missile
| Can be mounted on vehicles
|----
|}

Tracked armoured vehicles

Leclerc

The AMX-56 Leclerc, commonly known as the Leclerc, is a main battle tank built by Nexter of France. It was named in honour of General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque who led the French element of the drive towards Paris while in command of the Free French 2nd Armoured Division in World War...

AMX-10P

The AMX-10P is a French infantry fighting vehicle. It was developed after 1965 to replace the AMX-VCI in French service, and the first prototypes were completed in 1968. It has NBC protection and amphibious capabilities, with hydro jets to swim in water...

Early Modern France
| Infantry fighting vehicle
| 1,050
| Tracked infantry fighting vehicle, to be replaced by the VBCI

Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie

The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie is a French Infantry fighting vehicle designed to replace the AMX-10P. They joined active service in 2008, with 630 vehicles ordered up to 2010...

|----
| BvS 10

BvS 10

The BvS 10 is an All Terrain Armoured Vehicle produced by BAE Systems Land Systems Hagglunds of Sweden. This vehicle, referred to as the All Terrain Vehicle - ATV or VIKING by the UK forces, was originally developed as a collaboration between industry - Hägglunds Vehicle AB - and the UK Ministry...

Sweden/

United Kingdom
| Tracked articulated all-terrain carrier
| 150
| Include a 12.7mm machine gun
|}

Wheeled armoured vehicles

AMX 10 RC

The AMX-10RC is a wheeled recon vehicle and tank destroyer built by GIAT. Over 300 are in service in the French Army. 120 additional vehicles were sold to Morocco and Qatar ....

Early Modern France
| Wheeled tank destroyer
| 256
|----
| ERC 90 Sagaie

ERC 90 Sagaie

The Panhard ERC 90 is a French six-wheeled armoured all terrain vehicle which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being NBC-proof. While various models were tested, only two versions of the ERC were developed and produced: the Lynx and the Sagaie...

Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie

The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie is a French Infantry fighting vehicle designed to replace the AMX-10P. They joined active service in 2008, with 630 vehicles ordered up to 2010...

Early Modern France
| Wheeled infantry fighting vehicle
| 200
| Also known as VBCI

Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie

The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie is a French Infantry fighting vehicle designed to replace the AMX-10P. They joined active service in 2008, with 630 vehicles ordered up to 2010...

, will replace the AMX-10P. 600 have been ordered out of a requirement of 700 vehicles.
|----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport vehicles
|----
| Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé

Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé

The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB is an armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle designed by the Euro Mobilité Division of GIAT Industries of France. It entered service in 1976; around 5,000 were produced.- Design :The VAB was designed as a wheeled troop transporter, complementing the...

Petit Véhicule Protégé

The Petit Véhicule Protégé is a light, general-purpose armoured 4-wheel drive vehicle used by the French Army. It is also designated as Auverland A4 AVL . Built by Auverland, it is the successor to the Peugeot P4...

Nexter Aravis

The Aravis is a 4x4, mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicle developed and built by Nexter. An order for 15 Aravis vehicles was placed by the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement in April 2009 for use by the French Army as a reconnaissance and escort vehicle for engineer units...

Early Modern France
| Light tactical military truck
| 33
| Successor to the Sherpa 2

Renault Sherpa 2

The Sherpa Light Scout is one of the six versions of the SHERPA LIGHT family of 4x4 tactical and light armoured vehicles developed by Renault Trucks Defense. Available in unarmoured or armoured variants , the Scout is ideally suited for tactical missions such as scouting, patrol, convoy escort and...

|----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Mine protected vehicles
|----
| Buffalo (MPCV)

Buffalo (mine protected vehicle)

The Buffalo mine protected vehicle is a wheeled armored vehicle built by Force Protection Inc. It was designed based on the successful South African Casspir mine-protected vehicle. While the Casspir is a four wheeled vehicle, the Buffalo has six wheels. Buffalo is also fitted with a large...

United States/

South Africa
| Mine protected vehicle
| 5
| Bought for operations in Afghanistan
|----
|}

Wheeled vehicles

ACMAT

ACMAT , is a French producer of cross-country and tactical military vehicles since 1958...

Early Modern France
| Multipurpose truck
|
|
|----
| EFA

EFA (mobile bridge)

The EFA or Engin de Franchissement de l'Avant is a field-deployable river crossing apparatus, used by combat engineers in the French Army...

Peugeot P4

The P4 is an unarmoured off-road vehicle used by the military of France. It was manufactured by Peugeot but is now manufactured by Panhard. It is to be replaced with the PVP by Panhard. The P4 is a militarised Mercedes Geländewagen marketed by Peugeot for the French military...

Early Modern France
| All-terrain vehicle
| 13,500
| To be replaced by the PVP

Petit Véhicule Protégé

Italy
| Light reconnaissance motorcycle
|
|
|----
|}

Artillery

TRF1

The 155mm towed cannon Tr-F1 is a French towed howitzer produced by Nexter and used by the French army.-Performance:*Setting out of battery: 2 min*Crossing of slopes of 60%, fords of 1.20m....

Early Modern France
| Towed artillery
| 105
| Towed 155mm cannon.
|----
| RTF1

Mortier 120mm Rayé Tracté Modèle F1

The MO-120 RT-61 or MO-120-RT is a heavy mortar of French origin. It was designed by Thomson-Brandt as the successor for the MO-120 AM-50...

M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System

The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is an armored, self-propelled, multiple rocket launcher; a type of rocket artillery.Since the first M270s were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1983, the MLRS has been adopted by several NATO countries. Some 1,300 M270 systems have been manufactured in the...

United States
| Multiple rocket launcher
| 44
| Some have been retired but 44 units are still operational
|----
|}

Helicopters

Eurocopter Tiger

The Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre.-Origins:...

Early Modern France/

Early Modern France/

Germany/

Italy/

Netherlands
| Transport helicopter
| 0
| 34 on order for the French Army Light Aviation

French Army Light Aviation

The French Army Light Aviation is the aviation service of the French Army.-History:The French Army Light Aviation was established on 22 November 1954 for observation, reconnaissance, assault and supply duties.-Composition:...

, with an option for 34 more
|----
| EC 725 Super Cougar

Eurocopter EC 725

-See also:-External links:* * * *...

Aérospatiale Puma

The Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma is a four-bladed, twin-engined medium transport/utility helicopter. The Puma was originally manufactured by Sud Aviation of France.-Development:...

SA/IAR330
|

Aérospatiale Gazelle

The Aérospatiale Gazelle is a five-seat light helicopter, powered by a single turbine engine. It was designed and manufactured in France by Sud Aviation . It was also manufactured under licence by Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom , by SOKO in Yugoslavia and ABHCO in Egypt...

Eurocopter Fennec

|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *...

Early Modern France
| Training helicopter
| 18
|
|}

Planes

Socata TBM

|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0 7106 2537 5....

Pilatus PC-6

|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Taylor, John W. R. Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....

Switzerland
| Training plane
| 5
| Used for training
|}

External links

Official website

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

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