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. [1]
The Army General Staff is headquartered in Paris.
The Army Light Aviation Command is headquartered in Vélizy-Villacoublay.
The National Territory Land Command is headquartered in Paris and tasked with preparing for and providing support for an eventual operational deployment French Army forces on the French national territory.
The Foreign Legion Command manages the Legion related-issues (recruitment, traditions, employment, training, security) and is headquartered in Aubagne.
The Commandement des forces terrestres (CFT) - Land Forces Command has operational command of the army's combat forces and is headquartered in Lille.
Only the French units of the Franco-German Brigade are listed below.
The 3rd Division carries the traditions of the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division.
The Army Special Forces Command recruits and trains the army's special forces units and is headquartered in Pau. Operationally the command falls under the Special Operations Command.
The 4th Air-Combat Brigade contains all the operational helicopter regiments of the army and is headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand.
France is divided into six Defense and Security zones, which provide territorial services to military and civil authorities in their area.
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The 11th Parachute Brigade is one of the French Army's airborne forces brigade, predominantly light infantry, part of the French paratrooper units and specialized in air assault, airborne operations, combined arms, and commando style raids. The brigade's primary vocation is to project in emergency in order to contribute a first response to a situational crisis. An elite unit of the French Army, the brigade is commanded by a général de brigade with headquarters in Balma near Toulouse. The brigade's soldiers and airborne Marines wear the red beret (amaranth) except for the Legionnaires of the 2ème REP who wear the green beret.
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 1st Marine Infantry Regiment is a French regiment heir of the colonial infantry. The regiment is one of the quatre vieux regiments of the Troupes de Marine, with the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment 2e RIMa, the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment 3e RIMa, as well the 4th Marine Infantry Regiment 4e RIMa. Along with the 1st Marine Artillery Regiment 1er RAMa and the 2nd Marine Artillery Regiment 2e RAMa, the 1st Marine formed the Blue Division. The 1er RIMa is a light armoured unit, since 1986, alike with the régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine RICM.
The 11th Marine Artillery Regiment (France) (French: 11e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine, 11e RAMa) is an artillery regiment of the French Army. The regiment constitutes the fire support unit of the 9th Marine Infantry Brigade. The regiment employs around 950 men, fielding TRF1 155mm howitzers and MO-120-RT-61 120mm mortars. The regiment was founded in a third operational phase in 1951.
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 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.
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.
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.