|
|
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (January 2007) |
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (English: Land Army), is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest. As of 2007, the army employs 134,000 regular soldiers, 15,500 reservists, and 25,750 civilians.[1] All soldiers are now considered professionals, following the suspension of conscription in 1996.
Contents |
The army is divided into different Corps or armes. These Corps retain both symbolic and administrative values.
The operational organisation of the Army combines units from various Corps in 17 Brigades.
| French Armée de Terre statistics | |
| Personnel (Regular Army) | 134,000 |
| Personnel (Reserve Forces) | 15,800 |
| Main Battle Tanks | 354 Leclercs (as of 2008), 17 AMX-30B2s |
| Reconnaissance vehicles | 1100 VBLs, 192 ERC-90s, 300 AMX-10RCs |
| Infantry Fighting vehicles | 601 AMX-10Ps. To be replaced by the VBCI (550 combat version and 150 command version) |
| Armoured Personnel Carriers | 3,800 VABs |
| Artillery pieces and mortar | 105 TRF1s, 72 Caesar systems (currently being delivered), 134 AMX 30 AuF1s , 48 MLRSs, MO-120-RT-61 |
| Aircraft | 5 Pilatus PC-6 Porter, 12 Socata TBM700[2] |
| Helicopters | 80 Eurocopter Tigers (12 already delivered), 8 EC-725s, 18 AS-555s, 27 AS-532, 230 Gazelles, 90 SA-330s[2] |
| mine detection | 5 Chubby (mine detection system) |
 French soldiers with SPECTRA helmet of the IFOR in Mostar, 1995. An AMX 30 AuF1 self-propelled gun can be seen in the background. |
|||
 Artillery vehicle AMX 30 AuF1 |
|
||||||||||||||
The principles and values of the French Army are formulated in the Code of the French Soldier:
| “ | (...) Mastering his own strength, he respects his opponent and is careful to spare civilians. He obeys orders while respecting laws, customs of war and international conventions.(...) He is aware of global societies and respects their differences. (...) [3] | ” |
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Military equipment of France |
|
|||||||||||
