11th Parachute Brigade (France)

11e Brigade Parachutiste
Active	1999-
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Airborne forces
Size	8,500 personnel
Part of	Commandement de la force d'action terrestre
Garrison/HQ	Balma
Engagements	Operation Serval
Commanders
Current commander	Jean-Pierre Bosser
Insignia
Badge of the 11th Parachute Brigade worn on Maroon Berets. This badge is also worn by French Foreign Legion Paratroopers on Foreign Legion Berets.
Abbreviation	11 BP

French paratroopers in Lebanon in 1983

The 11th Parachute Brigade (French: 11^e Brigade Parachutiste, 11^e BP) 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 (Brigadier General). French paratroopers wear a red beret, except for the 2e REP who wear the French Foreign Legion Beret (light green).

History

The French Army created two parachute divisions in 1956, the 10th Parachute Division (10^e Division Parachutiste, 10^e DP) under the command of General Jacques Massu and the 25th Parachute Division (25^e Division Parachutiste, 25^e DP) under the command of General Sauvagnac. The 10^e DP formed from a looser 1955-formed previous Groupement Parachutiste d'Intervention, the 25^e DP was established from the 25th Airportable Division which had been previously stationed in Provence.^[1]

In the aftermath of the Algiers putsch, both formations were disbanded and their regiments merged into the Light Intervention Division (Division Légère d'Intervention). It became the 11th Parachute Division (11^e Division Parachutiste, 11^e DP) in 1971.

In the aftermath of the Cold War, the French Army reorganised and the 11^e DP became the 11th Parachute Brigade in 1999.

In January 2013, 250 French paratroopers from the 11th Parachute Brigade jumped into Northern Mali to support an offensive to capture the city of Timbuktu.^[2]

Organisation

Organizational Chart of the 11th Parachute Brigade in 2011

• Headquarters in Balma
• 1^er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes (1^er RHP) Parachute Hussar Regiment in Tarbes with ERC 90
• 1^er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes (1^er RCP) Parachute Chasseur Regiment in Pamiers
• 2^e Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes (2^e REP) French Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment in Calvi
• 3^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (3^e RPIMa) Marine Parachute Regiment in Carcassonne
• 8^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (8^e RPIMa) Marine Parachute Regiment in Castres
• 35^e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste (35^e RAP) Parachute Artillery Regiment in Tarbes with TRF1 howitzers, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and RTF1 mortars
• 17^e Régiment du Génie Parachutiste (17^e RGP) Parachute Engineer Regiment in Montauban
• 1^er Régiment du Train Parachutiste (1^er RTP) Parachute Supply Regiment in Toulouse
• 11^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions Parachutiste (11e CCTP) Command and Signas Company in Balma

It also includes the Commando Parachute Group, composed of members of the various regiments.

Sources

1. ↑ Clayton, 'France, Soldiers, and Africa', Brassey's Defence Publishers, 1988, p.190
2. ↑ "French-led operation looks north after Timbuktu". france24.com/en. FRANCE 24. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013. 

External links

• (French) 11^e BP official page on the French Ministry of Defence

French Foreign Legion History of the French Foreign Legion Képi Blanc (publication) Current Foreign Legion Units Administrative 1st Foreign Regiment Foreign Legion Command Foreign Legion Recruiting Group Infantry 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte Cavalry 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment Engineering 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment Training 4th Foreign Regiment Jungle Training Center Combat Training Center at Arta Beach Defunct Foreign Legion Units Administrative and Training Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments Airborne 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company Infantry 4e régiment de marche du 1er étranger 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers Cavalry 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division Miscellaneous Armored Train of the Foreign Legion Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East