Structure of the French Army

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]

In terms of Article R.3222-3 of the Code of Defence,^[2] the Army comprises:

• The Chief of Staff of the French Army (Chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre (CEMAT)).
• The army staff (l'état-major de l'armée de terre (EMAT)), which directs and manages 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 and Nord-Est);^[3]
• The services;
• The personnel training and military higher training organisms.

Structure of the French Army (click to enlarge).

Chief of Staff of the French Army

• General Commanding the Foreign Legion (Aubagne)
  • 1^er Régiment Etranger (1^er RE) - administration unit of the Foreign Legion in Aubagne
  • 4th Foreign Regiment, Foreign Legion - Training Regiment in Castelnaudary
• Engineers
• 25^e Régiment du Génie de l'Air (25^e RGA) - Air Engineer Regiment in Istres tasked with construction and maintenance of forward airbases
• Brigade de Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris (BSPP) - fire brigade for the city of Paris and surrounding suburbs, part of the Engineer Corps

Land Forces Command

The CFT (Commandement des Forces Terrestres or Land Forces Command) commands the eight combined arms brigades, as well as the support brigades.

French Army

Components Army Light Aviation Armoured Cavalry Troupes de marine French Foreign Legion Chasseurs alpins List of current regiments Structure of the French Army Administration Chief of Staff of the French Army Equipment Modern Equipment History Military history of France Personnel List of senior officers of the French Army Ranks in the French Army Awards Croix de guerre Médaille militaire Légion d'honneur Awards

Deployable Commands and force troops

• Corps de Réaction Rapide - a NATO corps sized deployable headquarters in Lille
• État-major de force n° 1 (EMF 1) - a division sized deployable command in Besançon
• État-major de force n° 3 (EMF 3) - a division sized deployable command in Marseille
• 785^e Composante Guerre Electronique (785^e CGE) - Electronic Warfare Centre in Orléans
• 132^e bataillon cynophile de l'armée de terre (132^e BCAT) - Dog Battalion in Suippes^[4]
• 2^e Régiment de Dragons - Défense Nucléaire Biologique et chimique (2 RD-NBC) NBC-defense Regiment in Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
• Aviation^[5]
  • 1^er Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat (1^er RHC) - Combat Helicopter Regiment in Phalsbourg with 42 Gazelle, 20 Puma and 14 Cougar helicopters
  • 3^e Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat (3^e RHC) - Combat Helicopter Regiment in Étain with 37 Gazelle, 16 Puma helicopters
  • 5^e Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat (5^e RHC) - Combat Helicopter Regiment in Pau with 52 Gazelle helicopters

1^re Brigade Mécanisée – 1st Mechanised Brigade

HQ based at Quartier Chanzyin, Châlons-en-Champagne.^[6]

• 1^re Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (1^re CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Châlons-en-Champagne with VAB
• 1^er Régiment de Tirailleurs (1^er RTir) - Infantry Regiment in Épinal with VBCI
• 1^er Régiment de Spahis (1^er SPAHIS) - Wheeled Armoured Regiment in Valence with AMX 10 RC and ERC 90
• 1^er Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (1^er RAMa) - Marine Artillery Regiment in Laon with 12x CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and 16x 120mm RTF1 mortars
• 3^e Régiment du Génie (3^e RG) - Engineer Regiment in Charleville-Mézières

2^e Brigade Blindée – 2nd Armored Brigade

Based in Illkirch-Graffenstaden

• 2^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (2^e CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Illkirch-Graffenstaden with VAB
• 12^e Régiment de Cuirassiers (12^e RC) - Armoured Regiment in Olivet with 60 Leclerc
• 501^e Régiment de Chars de Combat (501^e RCC) - Armoured Regiment in Mourmelon-le-Grand with 60 Leclerc
• Régiment de Marche du Tchad (RMT) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Meyenheim with VBCI
• 16^e Bataillon de Chasseurs (16^e BC) - Infantry Battalion in Bitche with VBCI
• 40^e Régiment d'Artillerie (40^e RA) Self-propelled Howitzer Regiment in Suippes with 32 GCT 155mm and 12 120mm mortars
• 13^e Régiment du Génie (13^e RG) - Engineer Regiment in Valdahon

3^e Brigade Légère Blindée – 3rd Light Armoured Brigade

Based in Clermont-Ferrand

• 3^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (3^e CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Clermont-Ferrand with VAB
• 1^er Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (1^er RIMa) - Marine Infantry Regiment (light cavalry) in Angoulême with AMX 10 RC and ERC 90
• 92^e Régiment d'Infanterie (92^e RI) - Infantry Regiment in Clermont-Ferrand with VBCI
• 126^e Régiment d'Infanterie (126^e RI) - Infantry Regiment in Brive-la-Gaillarde with VAB
• 68^e Régiment d'Artillerie d'Afrique (68^e RAA) - Artillery Regiment in Valbonne with 12x CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and 16x 120mm RTF1 mortars
• 31^e Régiment du Génie (31^e RG) - Engineer Regiment in Castelsarrasin

6^e Brigade Légère Blindée – 6th Light Armoured Brigade

Based in Nîmes

• 6^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (6^e CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Nîmes with VAB
• 1^er Régiment Etranger de Cavalerie (1^er REC) Foreign Legion - Cavalry Regiment in Orange with AMX 10 RC and ERC 90
• 2^e Régiment Etranger d'Infanterie (2^e REI) - Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment in Nîmes with VBCI
• 21^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (21^e RIMa) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Fréjus with VAB
• 3^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (3^e RAMa) - Marine Artillery Regiment in Canjuers with TRF1 howitzers, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and RTF1 mortars
• 1^er Régiment Étranger de Génie (1^er REG) - Foreign Legion Engineer Regiment in Laudun

7^e Brigade Blindée – 7th Armoured Brigade

Based in Besançon

• 7^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (7^e CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Besançon with VAB
• 1^er Régiment de Chasseurs (1^er RCh) - Armoured Regiment in Verdun with 60 Leclerc
• 35^e Régiment d'Infanterie (35^e RI) - Infantry Regiment in Belfort with VBCI
• 152^e Régiment d'Infanterie (152^e RI) - Infantry Regiment in Colmar with VBCI
• 1^er Régiment d'Artillerie (1^er RA) - Rocket Artillery Regiment in Bourogne with MLRS
• 54^e Régiment d'Artillerie (54^e RA) - Air-defense Regiment in Belfort with Mistral
• 19^e Régiment du Génie (19^e RG) Engineer Regiment in Besançon

9^e Brigade Légère Blindée de Marine - 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade

Based in Poitiers

• 9^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (9^e CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Poitiers with VAB
• Régiment d'Infanterie-Chars de Marine (RICM) - Armoured Marine Infantry Regiment (light cavalry) in Poitiers with AMX 10 RC and ERC 90
• 2^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (2^e RIMa) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Le Mans with VBCI
• 3^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (3^e RIMa) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Vannes with VAB
• 11^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (11^e RAMa) - Marine Artillery Regiment in Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier with TRF1 howitzers, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and RTF1 mortars
• 6^e Régiment du Génie (6^e RG) - Engineer Regiment in Angers

11^e Brigade Parachutiste – 11th Parachute Brigade

Based in Balma

• 11^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions Parachutiste (11^e CCTP) - Command and Signals Company 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

27^e Brigade d’infanterie de Montagne – 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade

Based in Varces

• 27^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions de Montagne (27^e CCTM) - Command and Signals Company in Varces
• 4^e Régiment de Chasseurs (4^e RCh) - Wheeled Armoured Regiment in Gap with 36 ERC 90, 16 VBL and 6 Gazelle helicopters
• 7^e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins (7^e BCA) - Mountain Infantry Battalion in Bourg-Saint-Maurice with VAB and VHM
• 13^e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins (11^e BCA) - Mountain Infantry Battalion in Chambéry with VAB and VHM
• 27^e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins (27^e BCA) - Mountain Infantry Battalion in Annecy with VAB and VHM
• 93^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Montagne (93^e RAM) - Mountain Artillery Regiment in Varces with CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and RTF1 mortars
• 2^e Régiment Etranger de Génie (2^e REG) in Saint-Christol

Brigade de Renseignement – Reconnaissance Brigade

Based in Haguenau

• 2^e Régiment de Hussards (2^e RH) - Reconnaissance Regiment in Haguenau with VBL
• 44^e Régiment de Transmissions (44^e RT) - Signals Intelligence Regiment in Mutzig
• 54^e Régiment de Transmissions (54^e RT) - Tactical Electronic Warfare Regiment in Haguenau
• 61st Artillery Regiment (61 RA) - Unmanned aerial vehicle Regiment at Quartier Général d'Aboville, Chaumont with CL-289 drones
• 28^e Groupe Géographique (28^e GG) - Topography Unit in Haguenau

Brigade de Transmissions – Signal Brigade

in Douai

• 28^e Régiment de Transmissions (28^e RT) - Signal Regiment Issoire
• 40^e Régiment de Transmissions (40^e RT) - Signal Regiment Thionville
• 41^e Régiment de Transmissions (41^e RT) - Signal Regiment Douai
• 48^e Régiment de Transmissions (48^e RT) - Signal Regiment Agen
• 53^e Régiment de Transmissions (53^e RT) - Signal Regiment Lunéville

Brigade Logistique – Logistics Brigade

Based in Montlhéry

• 121^e Régiment du Train (121^e RT) - Logistic Regiment in Montlhéry
• 503^e Régiment du Train (503^e RT) - Logistic Regiment in Nîmes
• 511^e Régiment du Train (511^e RT) - Logistic Regiment in Auxonne
• 515^e Régiment du Train (515^e RT) - Logistic Regiment in Angoulême
• 516^e Régiment du Train (516^e RT) - Logistic Regiment in Toul
• 519^e Groupe de Transit Maritime (519^e GTM) - Sea Transport Group in Toulon
• Régiment de soutien du combattant - Combat Logistic Regiment in Toulouse
• Régiment Médical (RMED) - Field Hospital Regiment in Valbonne
• 24^e Régiment d'Infanterie-Bataillon de réserve Ile de France - vital points protection reserve Battalion in Paris^[7]

Brigade Franco-Allemande – Franco-German Brigade

Based in Müllheim

French contribution:

• 3^e Régiment de Hussards (3^e RH) - Wheeled Armoured Regiment in Metz (France) with AMX 10 RC and VBL
• 1^er Régiment d'Infanterie (1^er RI) - Infantry Regiment in Sarrebourg with VAB

Logistics Units

• 2^e Régiment du Matériel (2^e RMAT) - Material Regiment in Bruz
• 3^e Régiment du Matériel (3^e RMAT) - Material Regiment in Muret
• 4^e Régiment du Matériel (4^e RMAT) - Material Regiment in Nimes
• 6^e Régiment du Matériel (6^e RMAT) Material Regiment in Besançon
• 7^e Régiment du Matériel (7^e RMAT) - Material Regiment in Lyon
• 8^e Régiment du Matériel (8^e RMAT) - Material Regiment in Mourmelon
• 5^e Base de Soutien du Matériel (5^e BSMAT) - Materials Base in Draguignan
• 12^e Base de Soutien du Matériel (12^e BSMAT) - Materials Base in Salbris
• 13^e Base de Soutien du Matériel (13^e BSMAT) - Materials Base in Clermont-Ferrand

Commandement des centres de préparation des forces

• Le centre d'entraînement des postes de commandement (CEPC) ;
• Le centre d'entraînement au combat (CENTAC), implantés sur le camp de Mailly (10) ;
• Le centre d'entraînement aux actions en zone urbaine (CENZUB) implanté sur le camp de Sissonne (02) ;
• Le centre d'entraînement des brigades (CEB) implanté sur le camp de Mourmelon-le-Grand (51), englobant également les camps de Suippes et de Moronvilliers ;
• 1^er Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique (1^er RCA) - Armoured Training Regiment in Canjuers
• Le centre d'entraînement de l'infanterie au tir opérationnel (CEITO) implanté sur le camp du Larzac à la Cavalerie (12) ;
• 17^e Groupe d'Artillerie (17^e GA) - Air Defense Artillery Training Battalion at Biscarosse, Landes

COS

The Commandement des Opérations Spéciales (Special Operations Command, COS) is the command, which coordinates the use of the French special forces of all military branches (Army, Navy, Air Force and Gendarmerie). The Special Forces units of the French Army are united in the Brigade des Forces Spéciales Terre (Army Special Forces Brigade, BFST).

Army Special Forces Brigade

Based in Pau

• 1^er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (1^er RPIMa) Special Forces Regiment in Bayonne
• 13^e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes (13^e RDP) Long Range Reconnaissance Regiment in Martignas-sur-Jalle.
• 4^e Régiment d'Hélicoptères des Forces Spéciales (4^e RHFS) Special Operations Army Aviation Regiment in Pau

Defence Bases

• Support units of the 5 regional headquarters: All this is now under the direction of the "Bases de Défense", an joint organization supporting the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Army units permanently deployed overseas

Africa and Middle East

• 5^e Régiment Interarmes d’Outre-Mer (5^e RIAOM) - Mixed Marine Regiment in Djibouti equipped with AMX 10 RC
• 13^e Demi Brigade de Légion Etrangère (13^e DBLE) - Foreign Legion regiment in the United Arab Emirates with ERC 90 Sagaie and VAB
• 6^e Bataillon d’Infanterie de Marine (6^e BIMa) - Marine Infantry Battalion based in Gabon equipped with ERC 90 Sagaie

Caribbean

• Détachement Terre Antilles/33e RIMa (33e RIMa) in Fort-de-France (Martinique) (infantry)

French Guiana

• 3^e Régiment Etranger d'Infanterie, 3^e REI - Infantry regiment tasked with the protection of the European Guiana Space Centre in Kourou
• 9^e Régiment d’Infanterie de Marine (9^e RIMa) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Cayenne

Indian Ocean

• 2^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (2^e RPIMa) - Marine Airborne Infantry Regiment in Saint-Pierre, Réunion
• Détachement de Légion Etrangère de Mayotte (DLEM) - Foreign Legion detachment in Mayotte with 240 men

Pacific Ocean

• Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine du Pacifique Nouvelle Calédonie (RIMaP-NC) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Nouméa, New Caledonia with 6 ERC 90 Sagaie

Future

The Future French Army will have "Two heavy (armoured) brigades for initial attack on the enemy positions. Three other multi-role (mechanised) brigades will be equipped and trained primarily for crisis management. Finally, two light brigades (the parachute and the alpine brigades) will be able to intervene in specific and difficult environments and will be the rapid response element.

Completion or prepositioned within modules dedicated emergency forces. The continued digitalization effort and operational readiness ensure appropriate consistency between these three components and their ability to mutually support and enforce each other. These forces will have about 200 heavy tanks, 250 medium wheeled tanks, 2700 multirole combat armored vehicles, 140 attack and reconnaissance helicopters, 115 maneuver helicopters and about 30 tactical drones."^[8]

References

1. ↑ "Version du décret avant abrogation" (in French). Legifrance.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2013-01-25. 
2. ↑ CDEF(R), no. R3222-3 Code de la défense, art. R.3222-3
3. ↑ CDEF(R) no. R1212-4, Code de la défense, art. R.*1212-4.
4. ↑ http://www.defense.gouv.fr/terre/presentation/organisation-des-forces/infanterie/132e-bataillon-cynophile-de-l-armee-de-terre
5. ↑ All three regiments now report directly to CFT, according to the French Army website. http://www.defense.gouv.fr/terre/presentation/organisation-des-forces/alat/5e-regiment-d-helicopteres-de-combat, 2015.
6. ↑ "1^re brigade mécanisée". French government. Retrieved 2012-02-17. 
7. ↑ http://www.defense.gouv.fr/terre/presentation/organisation-des-forces/infanterie/bataillon-de-reserve-ile-de-france-24-r.i
8. ↑ http://www.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/206200/2286715/file/Livre%20blanc%20-Dossier%20th%C3%A9matique.pdf

Commandement des Forces Terrestres 1st Mechanised Brigade 2nd Armoured Brigade 3rd Mechanised Brigade 6th Light Armoured Brigade 7th Armoured Brigade 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade 11th Parachute Brigade 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade Franco-German Brigade Brigade de Renseignement Brigade de Transmissions Brigade Logistique Corps de réaction rapide France French Army Structure of the French Army