Equipment of the French Army

This article describes the most important parts of the equipment and armament of the French land forces after the realignment in January 2016. For equipment up to December 2015 see here . It only affects weapons and equipment of the active force, stored reserve stocks are not listed here.

infantry

Uniforms

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  Current helmet "Spectra"

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  Previous model helmet "modèle 1978", is still used for training purposes

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  Soldier of the "2 ^e régiment étranger d'infanterie" in the uniform "Central European camouflage pattern" (Camouflage Europe centrale)

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  Desert camouflage pattern (Camouflage Daguet)

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  FÉLIN (18,552 sentences were available in 2015 - will be replaced by an improved version from 2016.)

Pistols

designation	image	caliber	use
PA MAC modèle 1950		9 × 19 mm parabellum	Semi-automatic orderly weapon (only occasionally available at the gendarmerie )
PAMAS G1		9 × 19 mm parabellum	Semi-automatic orderly weapon. Introduced in the gendarmerie in 1989, in the air force in 1992 and in the army and navy in 1999. In 2002 the total stock was 97,502 pieces.
Glock 17		9 × 19 mm parabellum	Semi-automatic pistol for the special forces
HK USP		9 × 19 mm parabellum	Semi-automatic pistol for the special forces

Rifles

designation	image	caliber	use
FA-MAS F1 & FA-MAS G2		5.56 × 45 mm NATO	Standard rifle with 25 & 30 round magazines (replacement has started)
HK416A5		5.56 × 45 mm NATO	Standard rifle with 30 rounds magazine. With the special forces since 2016. From 2017 to 2032 with 93,080 copies as a replacement for the FAMAS
FN Minimi		5.56 × 45 mm NATO	Light machine gun
Browning M2 on mount M3		12.7 × 99 mm NATO	Heavy machine gun
ON F1		7.62 × 51 mm NATO	Light machine gun (partly replaced by the FN-MAG from 2008)
FN MAG		7.62 × 51 mm NATO	Light machine gun (used in ALAT helicopters until 2007)
FR-F2		7.62 × 51 mm NATO	Sniper rifle
PGM Hécate II		12.7 × 99 mm NATO	Sniper rifle for the special forces
HK MSG90		7.62 × 51 mm NATO	Sniper rifle for the special forces
HK 417		7.62 × 51 mm NATO	Sniper rifle for the special forces
M16		5.56 × 45 mm NATO	Assault rifle for the special forces

Submachine guns

designation	image	caliber	use
HK MP5 A5		9 × 19 mm parabellum	Submachine gun for the special forces
HK MP5 SD3		9 × 19 mm parabellum	Submachine gun with silencer for the special forces
FN P90		5.7 × 28 mm SS190	Submachine gun for the special forces

Other infantry weapons

designation	image	caliber	use
Lance-grenades individuel Mle F1			Light one-man grenade launcher
Mortier 81 LLR		81 mm	medium mortar
FFV AT 4			Anti-tank weapon 84 mm
MILAN			Anti-tank weapon (2015 528 launchers available)
ERYX			Anti-tank weapon (678 launchers available in 2015).
Javelin			Anti-tank weapon (72 launchers available in 2015)
MISTRAL			Anti-aircraft weapon (still 221 launchers available in 2015)

vehicles

Tanks and armored vehicles

designation	image	Period of service Introduced from ...	Total number	Number currently	use
Char Leclerc		1993	406	254	Main battle tank
Char de Dépannage DNG / DCL		1996-2006	20th	18th	Armored recovery vehicles
AMX 30D		1975	100	30 July 1, 2017.	Armored recovery vehicles
AMX-10 RC		1981	457	284	Armored wheeled vehicles, in use at least until 2020 (241 vehicles)
ERC-90 saga		1984-1990	190.	80 (on July 1, 2017)	Light armored car until at least 2020 (60 vehicles)
VBCI		2008	630	630	Wheeled armored personnel carrier
VAB		1977	3200	2661	Transport tanks until at least 2020 (2190 vehicles)
VBL		1990	1600	1600	Armored multipurpose vehicle by 2030.
Renault Sherpa 3		2011–2012	6th	6th	Light armored anti-aircraft vehicle. Equipped with 4 Mistral anti-aircraft missiles. Only in use with the 54 e régiment d'artillerie.
ERBC Jaguar		2017-	April 2017 20 pieces ordered	248 from 2020	Armored reconnaissance and combat vehicle (replacement ERC-90 Sagaie & AMX-10 RC )
VBMR Griffon		2017-	7th	1722 to 2025 in version 6x6 and 400 in version 4x4	Armored multi-purpose vehicle (replacement VAB)

Pioneer vehicles

designation	image	Period of service Introduced from ...	Total number	Number currently	use
EBG (Engin Blindé du Génie)		1991	100	71	Engineer tanks until 2025
Aravis		2009	15th	14th	Mine-protected transport vehicle
MPCV		2008	5.	4th	Protected mine detection vehicle
Engin de franchissement de l'avant		1993	39	30th	Amphibious floating bridge vehicle
EGRAP ( Engins du génie rapide de protection )		2009.	92	92	Backhoe loader
Moyen de Forage Rapide de Destruction		1981	122		Blast shaft drilling rig
Pont flottant motorisé		1985		70 (2013)	Folding swimming bridge (only with the 1 er regiment du genie)
SPRAT		2011 & 2013	10	10	Rapid bridge device
MATS		1989			Folding road device
Souvim (Système d'Ouverture d'Itinéraires Minés 2)		2013	8th	8 (2013)	Mine detector
LTM 1055-3.1		2004	50		Mobile crane
Scania & Caterpillar					Tractor unit with a Caterpillar bulldozer
BOMAG					Vibrating roller
					Hydraulic excavator
MPG					Wheel loader
EGAME (Engin du Génie d'AMÉnagement)		2008	35		Wheel grader
VTL					Renault skip loader with wheel loader
UNAC TNA			6th	6th	Air-loadable bulldozer on the 17 e RGP

Buses and civil vehicles

The French Army uses more than 13,000 commercial vehicles ( called commerciaux ), including 1,300 buses. The administration of the commercial vehicles was privatized in 2006, the buses remained under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense. For the most part, they consisted of Renault Tracer vehicles , which for safety reasons will probably not be usable beyond 2015.

The following are or have already been procured as replacements:

designation	image	Period of service Introduced from ...	Total number	Number currently	use
Mercedes-Benz Intouro M		2014	51	51	Coach
Irisbus Crossway		2015	153	153	Coach
Iveco bus		2015	6th	6th	minibus
Renault Master		2015	45	45	minibus
Renault Trafic III		2016			minibus
Vehixel Next		2015	126	126	Coach

Light vehicles

designation	image	Period of service Introduced from ...	Total number	Number currently	use
PVP		2008	1183	1176	Replacement for the Peugeot P4
MassTech T4 (base model: Toyota Land Cruiser )		2018	500	500 by the end of May 2018	Replacement for the Peugeot P4
Véhicule à haute mobilité			53	53	Transport vehicle
Véhicule Patrouille Spéciale Panhard		2006 to 2020	129 (June 2016)	129	Mercedes G270 CDI M. Vehicles for special forces delivered between 2006 and 2008. To be replaced from 2020 by 241 Véhicules Légers Forces Spéciales (VLFS) from Panhard Défense.
Peugeot P4		1982	13,500	2500 (February 2016)	planned until 2018
Land Rover Defender		2010	550		Multipurpose vehicle
Ford Ranger		2016	1000		Multipurpose Vehicle (Made in South Africa)
Renault Kangoo		2016	520		Multipurpose vehicle

motorcycles

designation	image	Period of service Introduced from ...	Total number	Number currently	use
Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré		2015	150
Cagiva T4		1989	1450		only planned until 2015
Quad Polaris Sportsman 700			300		in the army and in the special forces

truck

designation	image	Period of service Introduced from ...	Total number	Number currently	use
Porteur polyvalent terrestre		2015	Ordered in 1600	200 (2015)	Swap body 8x8
Renault Sherpa 5		2012	30th	30th	7 ton class 6x6
Renault Kerax		2013	400	400	Commercial truck in various designs
Scania CCP10		2013	460		11,000 liter tank truck 6x6
TRM 700/100			119		6x6 tractor unit
Renault TRM 2000			5600		Light truck of the 2.5 ton class 4x4
TRM 10000			1203		Truck of the 10 ton class 6x6
GBC 180		1997	8300	5386	Truck of the 12 ton class 6x6
VLRA		1960		508	Truck of the 2 ton class 4x4 (postponed separation planned for 2018)
Renault Kerax 410					Tank semitrailer with armored cab
Renault 400 VDD					Tow and recovery vehicle

artillery

designation	image	Period of service Introduced from ...	Total number	Number currently	use
AMX AuF1		1974	134	32	Self-propelled howitzer (only available for the "40 e régiment d'artillerie" in Suippes ) 2030.
CAESAR		2008	134	77	Self-propelled field howitzer (also used in mountain artillery)
LRU		1990	57	13	Self-propelled rocket launcher (only with the "1 er régiment d'artillerie" in Bourogne )
MO 120 RT		1973	140	124	Mortar (pulled) until 2054
Cannon 20 mm modèle F2 (CN-MIT 20 F2)					Mounted on the VAB T-20/13 and in the Sud-Aviation SA330 Puma helicopter for fighting pirates.

Army aviators

designation	image	Period of service Introduced from ...	Total number	Number currently	use
gazelle		1968	102	81	Liaison helicopter by 2019
Eurocopter Tigre		2009	71	67	Attack helicopter
Sud-Aviation SA330 Puma		1968	70	43	Medium transport helicopter by 2019
Eurocopter AS-532 Cougar		2012		26th	Medium-sized transport helicopter until 2025–2030
NHIndustries TTH90			74	17th	Medium transport helicopter
Eurocopter EC725 Caracal			8th	8th	Transport helicopter for the special forces until 2021
Eurocopter AS-555 Fennec			18th	18th	Light multipurpose helicopter
Eurocopter EC120B Colibri		2012	36	36	Light training helicopter. (The fleet is privatized - under the management of the HéliDax company) by 2022
Socata TBM 700			8th	8th	Light liaison aircraft
Pilatus PC-6			5	5	Light liaison aircraft
Reims-Cessna F406 Caravan II			2	2	Light liaison aircraft

Military robots

Sperwer.

Ground-moving robots

• Minirogen (Mini robot pour le génie - Mini robots for the pioneers): 30 copies since 2012.

Drones

• Infotron IT180 (DroGen - Drone pour le GEnie): 10 small helicopters for the pioneers since 2012
• DRAC (reconnaissance drone): 255 copies went to the troops in 2016
• Sperwer (reconnaissance drone): 18 copies since 2004.
• Sagem Patroller (reconnaissance drone): 14 copies ordered on April 5, 2016

Communication and radar

Radar COBRA

• Réseau intégré des transmissions automatiques - RITA: ( Intranet ) in operation since the early 1980s
• PR4G (Poste Radio de 4 ^e Génération) walkie-talkies - ER 328 portative, ER 315 portable, ER 315 véhicule, ER 323 aérotransportable: (walkie-talkies in various designs - 33,000 devices) since the 1990s
• Radio CONTACT (Communications numérisées tactiques et de théâtre) walkie-talkies: Replacement for PR4G from 2016
• ATILA system (Automatisation du tir et des liaisons de l'artillerie): fire control system for 155 mm artillery.
• ATLAS system (Automatisation des tirs et liaisons de l'artillerie sol / sol): Fire control system for 155 mm artillery. Replacement for ATILA.
• Système MARTHA (Mailage des Radars Tactiques pour la lutte contre les Hélicoptères et les Aéronefs à voilure fixe): Stationary anti-aircraft radar since 2010
• Radar COBRA (Contre battery): 10 copies since 2005.
• Radar RASIT (Radar d'acquisition et de surveillance terrestre): In use since 1978.

Footnotes and individual references

1. ↑ Opérations Spéciales n ° 12 mar / avr 2015
2. ↑ [1]
3. ↑ Between 1991 and 2000 700 launchers and 12,000 missiles were delivered: Serge Vincon Les dépenses en capital: Vers une gestion tendue des crédits d'équipements 1999 http://www.senat.fr
4. ↑ In addition, 260 missiles were purchased for use in Afghanistan in 2011.
5. ↑ Missile anti-char Javelin: premières impressions [2] [3] .
6. ↑ Chiffres clés de la Défense - 2015 | Ministère de la Defense
7. ↑ 8 October 2015 National Assembly
8. ↑ de loi de programmation militaire 2014-2019 - Dossier Thématique Ministère de la Défense |
9. ↑ Les chiffres-clés de la Défense - édition 2011 Ministère français de la Défense |
10. ↑ [4]
11. ^ La DGA receptionne le 500e VBCI
12. ↑ Laurent Lagneau La prolongation des Véhicules blindés légers (VBL) à l'étude [5] [6]
13. ↑ Chiffres clés de la Défense - 2015 | Ministère de la Defense 3 September 2015
14. ^ [7] [8] Bruno Daffix
15. ↑ [9] "Buffalo, le nouveau véhicule de l'Armée de terre" - Jean-Dominique Merchet 2008
16. ↑ M. Bonaventure “JCB livre ses chargeuses-pelleteuses à l'armée française” [10] [11] .
17. ↑ [12]
18. ↑ 17th Airborne Engineer Regiment
19. ↑ Inventory is significantly reduced
20. ↑ are therefore not listed here
21. ↑ [13]
22. ↑ [14]
23. ↑ [15]
24. ↑ [16]
25. ↑ [17]
26. ↑ [18]
27. ↑ Shown on July 4th, 2018 at the parade in Paris
28. ↑ should then be replaced by 32 CAESAR NG (variant 8x8 armored) [19]
29. ↑ La DGA commande 13 lance-roquettes unitaires (LRU) | Direction générale de l'Armement
30. ↑ | Les chiffres-clés de la Défense | French Minister of Defense
31. ↑ [20]
32. ↑ Transportable
33. ↑ Transportable
34. ↑ Land vehicle bound
35. ↑ Aircraft bound

Web links

• Site officiel de l'Armée de terre
• Presentation of the composantes de l'Armée de terre
• Site de recrutement de l'Armée de Terre