Modern equipment of the French Army

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

Modern equipment of the French Army is a list of equipment currently in service with the French Army. Figures are provided by the French Ministry of Defense for July 1st, 2015.^[1]

Infantry equipment

Sidearms

The FAMAS is the service rifle of the French military.

The Félin electronic systems allow firing while maintaining cover

• MAC 50 – 9 mm – pistol
• Glock 17 – 9 mm – pistol (Navy)
• Manurhin MR73 – .38 Spc/.357 Mag – revolver (GIGN only)
• GIAT BM92-G1 (PAMAS-G1) – 9 mm – pistol (Gendarmerie, Air force & Army)
• HK USP – 9 mm – pistol (HK USP Compact for Navy, HK USP in Army)
• SIG SP 2022 – 9 mm – pistol (Gendarmerie)

Rifles

• FAMAS – 5.56 mm assault rifle
• SIG 550 – 5.56 mm assault rifle (Navy, Army & Gendarmerie)
• FN SCAR-L - 5.56 mm assault rifle for divers
• HK416 – 5.56 mm assault rifle for special forces
• HK G36E – 5.56 mm assault rifle (Navy, Army & Gendarmerie)^[2]
• M4 & CAR-15 – 5.56 mm small batch used by French special forces as test, replaced by the HK 416
• FR-F2 – 7.62 mm- sniper rifle
• FRG2 – 7.62 mm- sniper rifle in Air force
• PGM Ultima Ratio – 7.62 mm- sniper rifle
• HK G3 – 7.62 mm- DMR rifle
• HK417 – 7.62 mm- DMR rifle for French special forces
• Sako TRG-42 – 300 Winchester Magnum- sniper rifle for French special forces
• PGM Hécate II – 12.7 mm heavy sniper rifle

Submachine Guns

• MAT-49 – 9 mm – SMG
• HK MP5 – 9 mm – MP5F by HK & GIAT
• HK UMP- 9 mm – SMG
• Mini UZI- 9 mm – SMG

Machine Guns

• FN Minimi – 5.56 mm & 7.62 mm light machine gun
• ANF1 – 7.62 mm machine gun
• FN MAG – 7.62 mm machine gun (Army)
• M2 – .50 cal heavy machine gun

Other

• LGI Mle F1 – individual grenade launcher
• HK AG36 - rifle mounted grenade launcher
• APILAS – anti-tank rocket launcher
• AT4 CS – anti-tank weapon
• ERYX – anti-tank missile launcher (678)^[1]
• MILAN – anti-tank missile launcher (now Milan II) (528)^[1]
• FGM-148 Javelin – anti-tank missile launcher (76)^[1]
• HOT – anti-tank missile launcher (30)^[1]
• LLR 81 mm mortar

Equipment

• SPECTRA helmet
• FÉLIN – infantry combat system (18,552)^[1]

Vehicles

Armored Vehicles

Name	Origin	Variant	Number[3]	Photo	Notes
Main Battle Tanks
AMX Leclerc	France		200		206 in storage
Armoured personnel carriers
VBCI	France	VCI: Infantry fighting vehicle VPC: Armoured command vehicle VTT: Armoured personnel carrier	629		110 of the vehicles are the armoured command variant.[4]
VAB	France	VAB VTT: Armoured personnel carrier VAB MILAN: ATGM vehicle VCAC Mephisto: ATGM vehicle VAB ERYX: APC/ATGM VOA: Artillery observation vehicle VAB Reco: NBC reconnaissance	2,895		To be retired in late 2020 and to be replaced by 2,080 VBMR vehicles.[5] Vehicle numbers include some: 100 VAB MILAN, 175 VAB ERYX, 25 VAB Reco,[6] 30 VCAC Mephisto and 89 VOA.[1]
AMX-10 RC	France	Armoured recce, light tank	248		To be retired near the future and will be replaced by 248 EBRC vehicles.[5]
ERC 90 Sagaie	France	Armoured recce, light tank	100
VHM VHM Armoured[7][8]	Sweden  United Kingdom	Armoured personnel carrier	53		Order split between Bv206S[9] and BvS10
VBL	France	Armoured car	1,470
PVP	France	Armoured car	1,183[10]
Buffalo	United States	Mine-resistant ambush protected	4
Nexter Aravis	France	Mine-resistant ambush protected	14
Engin Blindé du Génie	France	Armoured engineering vehicle	40		Used with 14 SDPMAC (Mine Clearance Explosives) Systems.
Leclerc DCL	France	Armoured recovery vehicle	18
AMX-30D	France	Armoured recovery vehicle	30
Unarmoured Vehicles
TRM 10000	France	Truck	~1,000
TRM 2000	France	Truck
Renault GBC 180	France	Truck	5,500
VLRA	France	Truck
Peugeot P4	France	Light Utility Vehicle	13,500
Land Rover Defender	United Kingdom	Light Utility Vehicle	550[11]
VPS[12]	France	Light Utility Vehicle	51		Used by special forces.

Artillery

AuF1 self-propelled howitzer

• All 155mm guns totalled come to 121 platforms in service, of which 72 are CAESAR^[1][13]
• AMX 30 AuF1 – 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
• CAESAR – 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer
• TRF1 – 155 mm towed howitzer
• RTF1 – 120 mm mortar (140)^[1]
• M270 MLRS - 227mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher (3)^[14][15]

Anti-aircraft artillery

• Mistral – very short-range surface-to-air missile system (221)^[1]

Aircraft

Sperwer tactical reconnaissance UAV

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Quantity[1][16][17]	Notes
Fixed-wing aircraft
Pilatus PC-6	Switzerland	Training aircraft	5
SOCATA TBM	France	VIP transport & Utility	8
Helicopters
Eurocopter Tiger HAP/HAD	Europe	Attack helicopter	51	16 more on order. Final order will be 36 HAP and 31 HAD. (5 HAD delivered, 10 HAP will be upgraded)[18][19]
NHIndustries NH90	Europe	Transport helicopter	15	2 batches of 34 ordered in May 2013.[20] Six more helicopters were ordered in January 2016, bringing the total number of aircraft on order to 74.[21]
Aérospatiale Puma	France	Transport helicopter	75
Eurocopter Caracal	France	Transport helicopter	8	More on order.
Eurocopter Cougar	France	Transport helicopter	26
Aérospatiale Gazelle	France	Reconnaissance helicopter	110	One lost on 11 January 2013.[22]
Eurocopter Fennec	France	Training helicopter	18
UAVs
Crecerelle	France	Reconnaissance	12
CL-289	United Kingdom  Canada  Germany	Reconnaissance	54	Developed in the 1960s.
Sperwer	France	Reconnaissance	18

References

External links

• Official website of the French Ministry of Defense (in French)
• Les hélicoptères de l'armée de terre : situation et perspectives – Report from the French Senate (in French)
• Le rôle des drones dans les armées – Report from the French Senate (in French)
• Projet de loi de finances pour 2003 : Forces terrestres – Report from the French Senate (in French)
• Projet de loi de finances pour 2007 : Défense – Forces terrestres – Report from the French Senate (in French)