Franco-German Brigade

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Franco-German Brigade
— X —
Active October 2, 1989-
Country France, Germany
Type Mechanised Infantry
Size 1 Brigade (5.980)
Part of Eurocorps
Garrison/HQ Müllheim
Motto Dem Besten verpflichtet/Le devoir d'excellence (Devoted to excellence)
Commanders
Current
commander
Général de brigade Philippe Chalmel
Oberst Klaus Hahndel

The Franco-German Brigade (French: Brigade Franco-Allemande; German: Deutsch-Französische Brigade) is a joint formation consisting of units from both the French Armée de Terre and German Heer armies and is integrated in Eurocorps.[1]

History

The Brigade was formed in 1987 following a summit between President Mitterrand of France and Chancellor Kohl of Germany. The Brigade became operational on October 2, 1989, under the command of General Jean-Pierre Sengeisen. Currently, the FGB is stationed at Müllheim, Metz, Donaueschingen, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, and Immendingen as part of the Eurocorps.[2]

In February 2009 it was announced that a German battalion of the force was to be moved to Illkirch near Strasbourg, the first time a German unit had been stationed in France since the Nazi occupation of World War II.[3]

On 31 October 2013, France announced that in 2014 it would shut down the 110th Infantry Regiment based in Donaueschingen and thus withdraw around 1000 men from Germany. This would leave the brigade with 4000 men, but would put an end to each country having a major presence in the other, France would be left with ~500 troops in Germany and vice versa.[4]

Organisation

The Franco-German brigade can be described as a mechanised formation; its combat units are an armoured reconnaissance regiment, three infantry battalions, and an artillery regiment. The logistical support unit and the brigade's HQ have mixed complements drawn from both countries.[5]

  • FranceGermany Staff, in Müllheim (D)
  • France 3e Régiment de Hussards (3e RH) (3rd Hussar Regiment), in Metz (F)
    • 1st Reconnaissance Company
    • 2nd Reconnaissance Company
    • 3rd Reconnaissance Company
    • 4th Light Reconnaissance and Anti-Armour Company
    • 5th Supply and Support Company
    • 6th Combat Service Support Company
  • France 110e Régiment d'Infanterie (110e RI) (110th Infantry Regiment), in Donaueschingen (D)
    • 1st Infantry Company
    • 2nd Infantry Company
    • 3rd Infantry Company
    • 4th Reconnaissance and Combat Support Company
    • 5th Supply and Support Company
    • 6th Combat Service Support Company
  • Germany Jägerbataillon 291 (291st Light Infantry Battalion), in Illkirch-Graffenstaden (F)
    • 1st HQ & Supply Company
    • 2nd Light Infantry Company
    • 3rd Light Infantry Company
    • 4th Reconnaissance Company
  • Germany Jägerbataillon 292 (292nd Light Infantry Battalion), in Donaueschingen (D)
    • 1st HQ & Supply Company
    • 2nd Light Infantry Company
    • 3rd Light Infantry Company
    • 4th Light Infantry Company
    • 5th Heavy Infantry Company (8x 120mm Mortars, and 8x TOW Anti-Tank, 8x MK20 Fire Support and 6x Reconnaissance Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carriers)
    • 6th Combat Service Support Company
  • Germany Panzerartilleriebataillon 295 (295th Armoured Artillery Battalion), in Immendingen (D)
    • 1st HQ & Supply Battery
    • 2nd Self-Propelled Howitzer Artillery Battery with PzH 2000
    • 3rd Self-Propelled Howitzer Artillery Battery with PzH 2000
    • 4th Rocket Artillery Battery with MLRS
    • 5th Combat Service Support Company
  • Germany Panzerpionierkompanie 550 (550th Armoured Engineer Company), in Immendingen (D)
  • FranceGermany Logistic Battalion (French: Bataillon de Commandement et de Soutien German: Deutsch-Französiches Versorgungsbataillon), in Müllheim (D)
    • 1st HQ & Supply Company (bi-national)
    • 2nd Supply Company (bi-national)
    • 3rd Maintenance Company (bi-national)
    • 4th Transport Company (German)
    • Combat Service Support Company (French)
    • Staff Company Franco-German Brigade (bi-national)

Future French participation

The Franco-German brigade was not one of the seven brigades mentioned in the French government's 2013 security and defence white paper.[6] The extent of future participation of French forces in the brigade, post the implementation of the white paper, is not known.

See also

  • Franco-British Defence and Security Cooperation Treaty and Downing Street Declaration
  • NATO
  • Eurocorps
Flag of the Brigade.

Media related to Category:Franco-German Brigade at Wikimedia Commons

Notes

  1. "Franco-German Brigade on official Eurocorps website". Archived from the original on 2008-02-20. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
  2. "History of the Franco-German Brigade (in German)". Archived from the original on 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
  3. International Herald Tribune, German battalion to be stationed in France, February 7, 2009
  4. Agence France-Presse (31 October 2013). "France Dissolves Symbolic Regiment Based In Germany". Defense News. 
  5. "Structure of the Franco-German Brigade (in German)". Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
  6. "Le Livre blanc sur la défense et la sécurité nationale". Ministère de la Défense. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.  (French)
  • See also article in 'International Defence Review,' November 1994

External links

Coordinates: 47°48′58.61″N 7°37′16.27″E / 47.8162806°N 7.6211861°E / 47.8162806; 7.6211861

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