Modern equipment of the French Army

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 31 December 2012.

Infantry equipment

Weapons

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)
• FAMAS - 5.56 mm assault rifle
• SIG 550 - 5.56 mm assault rifle (Navy, Army & Gendarmerie)
• HK416 - 5.56 mm assault rifle for special forces
• HK G36E - 5.56 mm assault rifle (Navy, Army & Gendarmerie)
• M4 & CAR15 - 5.56 mm assault rifle used by French special forces
• M16 rifle - 5.56 mm assault rifle used by French special forces
• 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
• MAT-49 - 9 mm - SMG
• HK MP5 - 9 mm - MP5F by HK & GIAT
• HK UMP- 9 mm - SMG
• Mini UZI- 9 mm - SMG
• LGI Mle F1 - individual grenade launcher
• FN Minimi - 5.56 mm & 7.62 mm light machine gun
• ANF1 - 7.62 mm light machine gun
• FN MAG - light machine gun
• M2 - 12.7 mm heavy machine gun
• APILAS - anti-tank rocket launcher
• AT4 CS - anti-tank rocket launcher
• ERYX - anti-tank missiles (492)
• MILAN - anti-tank missiles (now Milan II) (540)
• FGM-148 Javelin - anti-tank missile (76 Launchers, 260 Missiles)

Other equipment

• SPECTRA helmet
• FÉLIN - infantry combat system (7143)

Vehicles

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Armoured combat vehicles
AMX-56 Leclerc	France	Main Battle Tank	254 152 in storage		Will be reducing to 200 in service and 206 in storage under future plans.
AMX-30B2	France	Main Battle Tank	17		Used for OPFOR training
AMX-10 RC	France	Armoured Car	256
ERC 90 Sagaie	France	Armoured Car	152
VBCI	France	Infantry fighting vehicle	500(630)		Includes: VCI: Infantry fighting vehicle variant VPC: Armoured Command Vehicle variant (110) VTT: Armoured personnel carrier variant
AMX-10P	France	Infantry fighting vehicle	158
VAB	France	Armoured personnel carrier	3,170		Includes: VAB VTT: Armoured personnel carrier variant VAB MILAN: ATGM vehicle variant (100) VCAC Mephisto: ATGM vehicle variant (30) VAB ERYX: Armoured personnel carrier variant carrying ATGM team (175) VOA: Artillery Observation Vehicle (99) VAB Reco: NBC Reconnaissance (25)
VHM VHM Armoured	Sweden United Kingdom	Armoured personnel carrier Amphibious armoured personnel carrier	27 (129)		Order split between Bv206S and BvS10
Buffalo	United States	Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected	5
Nexter Aravis	France	Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected	14
VBL	France	Light Armoured Vehicle	1,610
PVP	France	Light Armoured Vehicle	1,133
Renault Sherpa 3	France	Light Armoured Vehicle	0 (33)
Engineering Vehicles
Engin Blindé du Génie	France	Armoured engineering vehicle	42
Leclerc DCL	France	Armoured recovery vehicle	18
AMX-30D	France	Armoured recovery vehicle	58
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	France	Light Utility Vehicle	550
VPS	France	Light Utility Vehicle			Used by special forces

Artillery

Surface to surface artillery

AuF1.

• AMX 30 AuF1 - 155 mm self-propelled howitzer and TRF1 - 155 mm towed howitzer (73)
• CAESAR - 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer (77)
• RTF1 - 120 mm mortar (92)
• LLR 81 mm mortar

Anti-aircraft artillery

• Mistral - very short-range surface-to-air missile (226)
• 20 mm Mle F2 - anti-aircraft gun

Aircraft

Further information: French Army Light Aviation

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
Fixed-wing aircraft
Pilatus PC-6	Switzerland	Training aircraft	5
SOCATA TBM	France	VIP transport & Utility	11
Helicopters
Eurocopter Tiger	Europe	Attack helicopter	39	41 more on order.
NHIndustries NH90	Europe	Transport helicopter	10	2 batches of 34 ordered, 68 total
Aérospatiale Puma	France	Transport helicopter	92
Eurocopter Caracal	France	Transport helicopter	14	More on order.
Eurocopter Cougar	France	Transport helicopter	23
Aérospatiale Gazelle	France	Reconnaissance helicopter	152	One lost on 11 January 2013.
Eurocopter Fennec	France	Training helicopter	18

UAVs

Sperwer.

• Crecerelle - tactical reconnaissance (12)
• CL-289 - tactical reconnaissance (54)
• Sperwer - tactical reconnaissance (18)

Dress uniform

A bugler of the French Marines in dress uniform, during the Gulf War.

École militaire interarmes cadets in parade uniform, during the Bastille Day Military Parade.

In the 1970s France adopted a light beige dress uniform which is worn with coloured kepis, sashes, fringed epaulettes, fourragères and other traditional items on appropriate occasions. The most commonly worn parade dress however consists of camouflage uniforms worn with the dress items noted above.

The legionnaires of the French Foreign Legion wear white kepis, blue sashes and green and red epaulettes as dress uniform, while the Troupes de marine wear blue and red kepis and yellow epaulettes. The sappers of the French Foreign Legion wear the basic legionnaire uniform but with leather aprons and gloves. The Chasseurs Alpins wear a large beret, known as the "tarte" (the pie) with dark blue or white mountain outfits. The Spahis retain the long white cloak or "burnous" of the regiment's origin as North African cavalry.

Sailors of the French Navy and Fusiliers Marins wear a dress uniform dating from the nineteenth century with a distinctive red pom-pom on the crown of the round cap.

The infantry and cavalry of the Republican Guard retain their late 19th century dress uniforms, as do the military cadets of Saint-Cyr and the École Polytechnique. A medium blue evening dress for officers is now seldom seen but individual branches or regiments may parade bands or "fanfares" in historic dress dating as far back as the Napoleonic period.

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)