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The following is a hierarchical outline for the French Land Army at the end of the Cold War. It is intended to convey the connections and relationships between units and formations. The theoretical combat strength of the army was 295,989 soldiers, of the 557,904 individuals available for service across the entire French Armed Forces in 1989. [1]
In 1967 with the withdrawal of French forces from the NATO Military Command Structure, agreements were reached between the SACEUR at the time, General Lyman Lemnitzer, and the French Chief of Staff, General Charles Ailleret (fr:Charles Ailleret), under which the French forces in Germany might in certain circumstances fight alongside Allied Forces Central Europe. [2]
In 1977 the Army had changed its military organisation in accordance with a short war-fighting strategy in Europe, and divisions lost their component brigades. Under army headquarters in 1985 were the First Army, with three corps, the Rapid Action Force, an independent corps-level rapid deployment command, six military regions in the metropole (including the former Défense opérationnelle du territoire territorial defence forces), and forces overseas, including DOM-TOM, in Guyana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Djibouti, Seychelles/Mayotte, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia. [3] [4]
Below follows a description of the organisation of the various regiments of the French Army.
The four light armored divisions (6e Division Légère Blindée, 9e Division d'Infanterie de Marine, 12e Division Légère Blindée and 14e Division Légère Blindée) vary in their structure.
Wartime: The 4th RHCM consists of a squadron commander and liaison with ten light helicopters type SA341F Gazelle, and five utility helicopters squadrons each with ten type SA330Ba Puma transport helicopters. The 1st, 3rd and 5th RHC are composed of a squadron of light reconnaissance helicopter with nine light helicopters type SA341F Gazelle. These devices called "smooth" knowing that they do not carry on-board armament, used for reconnaissance or command support, a support helicopter squadron protection with ten light helicopters type SA341F2 Gazelle. These aircraft, each provided with a 20 mm gun used in support of ground troops and protection of other aircraft, anti-tank squadrons of three helicopters, each with ten light helicopters type SA342M Gazelle. These aircraft have four HOT antitank missiles for destroying armored vehicles of all kinds and a helicopter squadron maneuver with ten type SA330Ba Puma transport helicopters. None of these units possess Alouette III that is found only in peacetime in the 6th and 7th RHC each with ten machines.
The 1st Logistic Command provided overseas logistic capabilities.
Army forces in West Africa:
Army forces in Djibouti:
Army forces in the Lesser Antilles and French Guiana:
Army forces in the Southern Indian Ocean:
Army forces in French Polynesia:
Army forces in New Caledonia:
In 1984, Isby and Kamps wrote that the Défense opérationnelle du territoire term remained in use despite the command having been disbanded in the 1970s. [5]
The Army provided two engineer regiments to the Armée de l'Air.
Tri-service Peacetime command for all French Forces in Germany.
The Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE) is the foreign intelligence service of the French state. It acts in the interest of the government and not as a military intelligence, but it is subordinated to the Ministry of Defence as an independent military service. In 1989 the military intelligence function was carried out by the 2nd Department of the French General Staff (2e Bureau) and the Center for Exploitation of Military Intelligence Data (Centre d’exploitation du renseignement militaire). They were eventually merged in 1992 into the current Direction du renseignement militaire [7] )
The 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment is one of two combat engineer regiments of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment provides the combat engineering component of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade.
The structure of the French 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.
The 7th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the French Army. The division was active during the Cold War and some time after the fall of the Berlin Wall, before being disbanded. Its traditions were carried on by the 7th Armoured Brigade.
The 2nd Armoured Brigade is an armoured brigade of the French Army. It is heir to the honours and traditions of the 2nd Armoured Division famously commanded by Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque.
The 6th Light Armoured Brigade is one of the eight inter-arm brigades which are at the disposition of the Commandement des Forces Terrestres. The headquarters of the brigade is situated in Nîmes. The brigade is capable of deploying to any exterior theatre of operation while delivering fire power, agility, and mobility.
The 9th Marine Infantry Brigade is a light armoured, amphibious unit of the Troupes de marine of the French Army.
The 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade is a mountain infantry formation of the French Army. The brigade is subordinated to the 1st Armored Division and specializes in mountain warfare.
The 1st Armored Division is a unit of the French Army formed during World War II that took part in the Liberation of France.
The 3rd Armoured Division is a unit of the French Army. The Division is the heir of the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division formed in 1943 and dissolved in 1946, which contributed in the liberation of Marseille during the Second World War.
The Army of Châlons was a French military formation that fought during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Formed in the camp of Châlons on August 17, 1870, from elements of the Army of the Rhine which the formation was issued from, the Army of Châlons was engaged in combats of Beaumont and Sedan while disappearing during the capitulation of September 2, 1870.
The Army of the Rhine was a French military unit that fought in the Franco-Prussian War. It was created after the declaration of war on July 18 1870.
The Division Daguet was a French Army division formed in September 1990 in Saudi Arabia as part of France's contribution to Operation Desert Shield. The French military contribution to the allied cause to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation was named Opération Daguet and its ground part was subsequently named Division Daguet. In French "Daguet" is a young brocket deer.
The 14th Military Division was a division sized unit of the Vichy France army. The division was formed in late 1940 and demobilized in late 1942. It was under the control of the 1st Military Corps and controlled units in East France notably on the Swiss border.
The Army Music Command ) is an organization under the direct authority of the Chief of Staff of the French Army. It is based in Satory.
The 6th Armoured Division was a military formation of the French Army. It was established in 1951, disbanded in 1957; then reformed in 1977, and dissolved in 1984.
In France, the Operational Defence of the Territory is according to the Code of Defence, the participation of the French Armed Forces "To maintain the freedom and continuity of action of the Government, as well as to safeguard the organs essential to the defense of the nation."
The Specialized Staff for Overseas and Foreign Affairs was historically dedicated to training the French Army in interculturality and was the maison mere (mother-parent) of the Troupes de marine. It is located at the Ecole militaire in Paris and at Fréjus.
The 15th Military Division also known as the 15th Military Region was an infantry formation of division-size of the Armistice Army that was active during World War II. The division's headquarters was in Marseille. This division was subordinated to the 1st Group of Military Divisions.