Adventurers in the general ranks
Having suffered a heavy defeat from Germany at the beginning of the Second World War, according to its results, France was returned to the number of not only winners, but great powers. For seven decades, Paris tries its best to maintain this status.
France is one of the founders of NATO, but from 1966 to 2009 for a year she was not part of the military structure of the alliance. In terms of the number of nuclear charges, the Fifth Republic SNF is occupied by 4 or 5-e place in the world (after the USA, Russia, China and, possibly, Israel).
Geographically continental country, militarily, it behaves more like an ocean power, more actively developing Aviation and the fleet. Almost all NATO members, after the end of the Cold War, switched from conscription to the hired principle of manning the army and significantly reduced their armed forces, remaining, however, one of the strongest in the alliance and in Europe.
France has developed a powerful military industrial complex, which almost completely provides the national armed forces with armament and equipment. The exceptions are the American MLRS MLRS, Javelin ATGM, DRLO E-3 and E-2 airplanes and C-130 transports, as well as some samples of aircraft weapons. However, part of the aircraft engineering France creates and manufactures together with other European countries, primarily with the UK, Germany, Italy.
Ground troops have two divisions.
The 1 Division (headquarters in Besançon) includes the 7 Armored (Besançon), the 9 light armored marinas (the Marine Corps, which in France is organizationally part of the ground forces, not the Navy, Poitier), 27. mining (Wars-Alier-e-Rissse) and French-German (Strasbourg) brigade, 1-th artillery and 19-th engineering regiments.
The 3 division (Marseille) includes the 2 armored (Strasbourg), the 6 light armored (Neem), the 11 parachute (Balm) brigade, the 54 th anti-aircraft, the 31 th engineering, 2-RHBX
The ground forces include the headquarters of the RRF (in peacetime does not have any combat units under its command), as well as six separate brigades: 4-I Army Aviation (Clermont-Ferrand), MTR (Po), 1-I transport (Montléry), intelligence (Agno), communications (Douai), MTO. There are four regiments of marines (9 in Guiana, 2 in parachute on Reunion, one each in New Caledonia and Tahiti) and three others (3 in engineering in Guiana, 5 in UAE and Djibouti).
In addition, the Foreign Legion is part of the ground forces, consisting mainly of citizens of other countries. It consists of: 1, 2, 3 (infantry) 4, 1 training, 1 Cavalry, 2, 2 engineering, 13 parachute (in Corsica) regiments, XNUMX brigade group in the UAE).
In service - 200 modern "Leclerc" (206 in storage) and 17 obsolete AMX-30V2, which are used as training (61 in storage). Tank the fleet is supplemented by a significant amount of BMWs: 248 AMX-10RC with a 105-mm gun (up to 84 in storage), 90 ERC-90F4 (up to 33 in storage) and 28 VBC-90 with a 90-mm gun. A significant number of light BRMs: 40 VAB (RCBZ machines) and 1470 VBL M-11 (up to 151 in storage). In service - 520 of the latest VBCI infantry fighting vehicles (and 110 KShM based on them), they replaced the old AMX-10P / PC infantry fighting vehicles (up to 651 are in storage). There are about three thousand armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles: 1462 VAB-VTT (and about 1300 different auxiliary vehicles based on VAB), 53 Swedish Bv-206S and BvS-10, 1183 PVP, 153 VBRG-170.
Artillery: 44 ACS AU-F-1 (up to 142 in storage), 77 newest wheeled ACS Caesar, 89 155-mm TR-F-1 towed guns (up to 8 in storage). 140 120-mm mortars RT-F1 (up to 125 in storage) and 157 mortars of 60 and 81 millimeter millimeters are available. The most powerful artillery systems are the 13 American 227-mm MLRS MLRS. They were upgraded in France according to the LRU version (up to 44, non-upgraded MLRS were stored).
In service are over a thousand ATGMs - 663 Milan (including 113 self-propelled on a VAB BTR), 678 Eriks (including 185 on VAB), 76 American Javelin, 30 outdated Hot.
The military air defense consists of a Mistral 126 (another 84 – 100 in storage) and a number of anti-aircraft guns.
The Army Aviation - 8 light transport aircraft TBM-700, 5 Swiss educational PC-6 to 300 combat helicopters (52 latest ES665 «Tiger», 167 SA342M (4 in storage) to 56 SA341F «Gazelle» (31-42 on storage), more than 160 multipurpose and transport helicopters (17 AS555, 7 EC725AP, 18 AS532UL, up to 102 SA330, 16 NH90).
Air force divided into seven commands. The strategic is intended for nuclear strikes, having approximately 20 aircraft Rafale, all the Mirage-2000N and tankers C-135. Armed with the joint command - the rest of the combat aircraft, as well as reconnaissance and electronic warfare. The command of air defense and air operations is composed of airborne early warning and all the air defense systems. Auxiliary planes and helicopters are in other commands: communications, information and intelligence, training, support.
The most modern fighter aircraft of the French Air Force - "Rafale-B / C". It is planned to purchase more 130 of such machines, now there are 93 (45 C, 48 training and combat B, 3 B, 2 C in storage). The main combat aircraft is still "Mirage-2000". In the ranks 174 machines of this type are the five modifications (27 old fighters "Mirage 2000S», 30 modernized fighters 5F, 34 designed for nuclear strike N, 8 combat training in, 75 most modern drum D, even 19 C, 2 5F, 19 N, 8 B, 1 D are in storage). In addition, 15 Mirage-4 medium-range bombers are in storage, up to 61 assault Jaguars (including 11 combat trainers) and 102 Mirage-F1 fighter (13 C, 5 C-200, XNXX) CT, 39 intelligence officer CR, 32 combat training B). The strategic command is armed with 13 ASMP-A ALCMs for which there are 54 – 58 nuclear warheads TN-60. In storage until 81 ALCM of the previous modification of ASMP.
How attack aircraft can be used 109 UBS "Alpha Jet" (up to 38 in storage).
In service - X-NUMX aircraft AWRLO E-4F, 3 REAR C-2G, 160 tankers (14 C-11FR, 135 KC-3R). Transport: 135 newest A8M (will be 400), up to 50 C-28Rs are on the display of racings (hl) 160 C-31H, 14 C-130H, 27 spanish CN-235M, 22 Brazilian EMB-121 (7x), HNUMXM 19 Brazilian EMB-700 (1x), HNUMXM, 5 Brazilian EMB-6 (2) in storage), 8 Canadian DHC-3, 310 DHC-1, 330 A2, 340 A2, 7 A5, 20 "Falkon-16X", 2 "Falkon-2000", and the NNXX "Falkon-2X", 900 "Falkon-18" , 140 Falcon-1. Training: 42 D-30 (76 in storage), 5 TV-36 (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX HK-XNUMX.
Fleet of helicopters: 42 AS555 (1 in storage), 11 EC725, 6 AS332 (1 in storage), 6 AS532 (2 in storage), 26 SA330 (21 – 27 in storage and in the process of production programs and 3-330 SA4 (365 – XNUMX in storage), and in XNUMX SAXNUMX (XNUMX – XNUMX in storage systems and in the process of production of the programs in XMNUMX)
The ground defense consists of 5 squadrons of the newest Mamba air defense system (SAMP / T). In each squadron of 2 batteries, the battery - 4 – 6 PU on 8 SAM.
Navy France carries the bulk of the country's nuclear potential. The Triumfan-type 4 SSBNs are based on the country's Atlantic coast, each boat carrying an 16 SLBM. A total of 16 SLXXXXX SLBMs (up to 45 in storage) are in service; more advanced M32 SLBMs, of which 51, are supposed to be purchased in total, 32. Both the M60 and the M45 can carry up to 51 nuclear warheads, for these SLBMs there is a TN-6 YABCH 290.
Also underwater navy 6 submarines of the Rubis type (all based on the Mediterranean coast of the country), instead of them it is planned to purchase the same number of Barracuda-class submarines.
On the Mediterranean Sea is based only atomic aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle". Most of the time, the ship is being repaired.
In the French Navy, formally there are no destroyers, ships of this class are called frigates of 1 rank. These include the 2 modern Forbin-type samples built in cooperation with Italy, the older 7 (2 - Kassar, 5 - Georges Leghy - two more of the same removed from the Navy, one of them in the sediment, the other used as a training), Aquitaine-type ship 3. The latter are built according to the FREMM project, also jointly with Italy, all of which are supposed to be 8 (instead of “Kassarov” and “Lehi”). In Italy, similar ships belong to the frigates. There are "classic" frigates: 5 "Lafayette", 6 "Floreal", 9 "D'Estin D'Or".
For the protection of the economic zone of the country, including overseas territories, 12 patrol ships of various types are used, having a long cruising range with purely symbolic weapons.
As part of the Navy - 18 minesweepers: 11 type "Eridan", 4 "Vulcan", 3 "Antares". The basis of the landing forces are 3 UDC "Mistral". There is also an 2 TDC "Batral" (2 still removed from the Navy and are in the sludge).
Naval aviation has 62 deck combat aircraft - 43 newest Rafale-M, 18 of old Super Etandar (20 – 23 in storage). There are 3 decked aircraft AWACO E-2C. At the same time, as mentioned above, the only aircraft carrier from which these aircraft can be used is more often repaired than at sea. On the naval aviation arms also are 26 «Atlantic-2» basic patrol aircraft (1-2 in storage), 28 transport (10 EMB-121 and 1 in storage, 18 «Falcons»), 7 educational CAP-10, to 25 antisubmarine helicopter "Links" Mk4 (6 for storage) and to 70 multipurpose cargo helicopters (11 AS365F, AS16SA 565, 15 SA319B until 13 SA316, NH13 90, 3 ES225).
There are no foreign troops in the country, while limited contingents are located in the overseas territories of France (in Guiana, Polynesia, Reunion), in the former African colonies (Djibouti, Chad, BSK, CAR, Gabon, Mali, Senegal).
Given the geographical location and the complete absence of external threats, the potential of the Armed Forces of the Fifth Republic is more than enough to ensure the country's defense. They can also be used to conduct limited interventions that the French regularly conduct in their former African colonies. However, the geopolitical ambitions of Paris are much greater than its real military capabilities, which the Elysian Palace categorically do not want to admit.
As for the Foreign Legion, after the abolition of military conscription in France in 2001, it largely lost its previous meaning. Now it is not necessary to stand under the gun instead of “respectable citizens”, for whoever does not want, does not go into the army, and Paris, in their previous sense, does not wage war. As in any developed country, in France, the transition from the draft to the hired principle of manning the armed forces led to their inevitable lumpenization. That is, now the "ordinary" parts are practically no different from the legion - either representatives of the lower classes for money or adventurers for adrenaline either go there. Accordingly, the value of the Legion falls. The salary in it is designed specifically for the lumpen, obtaining foreign legionnaires of French citizenship, contrary to existing myths, is not automatically and even at best, not quick. Continuing to serve Britain for two centuries, the Nepalese Gurkha remain the elite of the British army precisely because it is not a European, but an Asian people who purposefully prepare themselves for military service. And the Foreign Legion of France from the elite is increasingly turning into a myth about itself (it is necessary for our individual compatriots to know this, whom it still attracts). And this evolution is irreversible, as is the general degradation of European armies.
France is one of the founders of NATO, but from 1966 to 2009 for a year she was not part of the military structure of the alliance. In terms of the number of nuclear charges, the Fifth Republic SNF is occupied by 4 or 5-e place in the world (after the USA, Russia, China and, possibly, Israel).
Geographically continental country, militarily, it behaves more like an ocean power, more actively developing Aviation and the fleet. Almost all NATO members, after the end of the Cold War, switched from conscription to the hired principle of manning the army and significantly reduced their armed forces, remaining, however, one of the strongest in the alliance and in Europe.
France has developed a powerful military industrial complex, which almost completely provides the national armed forces with armament and equipment. The exceptions are the American MLRS MLRS, Javelin ATGM, DRLO E-3 and E-2 airplanes and C-130 transports, as well as some samples of aircraft weapons. However, part of the aircraft engineering France creates and manufactures together with other European countries, primarily with the UK, Germany, Italy.
Ground troops have two divisions.
The 1 Division (headquarters in Besançon) includes the 7 Armored (Besançon), the 9 light armored marinas (the Marine Corps, which in France is organizationally part of the ground forces, not the Navy, Poitier), 27. mining (Wars-Alier-e-Rissse) and French-German (Strasbourg) brigade, 1-th artillery and 19-th engineering regiments.
The 3 division (Marseille) includes the 2 armored (Strasbourg), the 6 light armored (Neem), the 11 parachute (Balm) brigade, the 54 th anti-aircraft, the 31 th engineering, 2-RHBX
The ground forces include the headquarters of the RRF (in peacetime does not have any combat units under its command), as well as six separate brigades: 4-I Army Aviation (Clermont-Ferrand), MTR (Po), 1-I transport (Montléry), intelligence (Agno), communications (Douai), MTO. There are four regiments of marines (9 in Guiana, 2 in parachute on Reunion, one each in New Caledonia and Tahiti) and three others (3 in engineering in Guiana, 5 in UAE and Djibouti).
In addition, the Foreign Legion is part of the ground forces, consisting mainly of citizens of other countries. It consists of: 1, 2, 3 (infantry) 4, 1 training, 1 Cavalry, 2, 2 engineering, 13 parachute (in Corsica) regiments, XNUMX brigade group in the UAE).
In service - 200 modern "Leclerc" (206 in storage) and 17 obsolete AMX-30V2, which are used as training (61 in storage). Tank the fleet is supplemented by a significant amount of BMWs: 248 AMX-10RC with a 105-mm gun (up to 84 in storage), 90 ERC-90F4 (up to 33 in storage) and 28 VBC-90 with a 90-mm gun. A significant number of light BRMs: 40 VAB (RCBZ machines) and 1470 VBL M-11 (up to 151 in storage). In service - 520 of the latest VBCI infantry fighting vehicles (and 110 KShM based on them), they replaced the old AMX-10P / PC infantry fighting vehicles (up to 651 are in storage). There are about three thousand armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles: 1462 VAB-VTT (and about 1300 different auxiliary vehicles based on VAB), 53 Swedish Bv-206S and BvS-10, 1183 PVP, 153 VBRG-170.
Artillery: 44 ACS AU-F-1 (up to 142 in storage), 77 newest wheeled ACS Caesar, 89 155-mm TR-F-1 towed guns (up to 8 in storage). 140 120-mm mortars RT-F1 (up to 125 in storage) and 157 mortars of 60 and 81 millimeter millimeters are available. The most powerful artillery systems are the 13 American 227-mm MLRS MLRS. They were upgraded in France according to the LRU version (up to 44, non-upgraded MLRS were stored).
In service are over a thousand ATGMs - 663 Milan (including 113 self-propelled on a VAB BTR), 678 Eriks (including 185 on VAB), 76 American Javelin, 30 outdated Hot.
The military air defense consists of a Mistral 126 (another 84 – 100 in storage) and a number of anti-aircraft guns.
The Army Aviation - 8 light transport aircraft TBM-700, 5 Swiss educational PC-6 to 300 combat helicopters (52 latest ES665 «Tiger», 167 SA342M (4 in storage) to 56 SA341F «Gazelle» (31-42 on storage), more than 160 multipurpose and transport helicopters (17 AS555, 7 EC725AP, 18 AS532UL, up to 102 SA330, 16 NH90).
Air force divided into seven commands. The strategic is intended for nuclear strikes, having approximately 20 aircraft Rafale, all the Mirage-2000N and tankers C-135. Armed with the joint command - the rest of the combat aircraft, as well as reconnaissance and electronic warfare. The command of air defense and air operations is composed of airborne early warning and all the air defense systems. Auxiliary planes and helicopters are in other commands: communications, information and intelligence, training, support.
The most modern fighter aircraft of the French Air Force - "Rafale-B / C". It is planned to purchase more 130 of such machines, now there are 93 (45 C, 48 training and combat B, 3 B, 2 C in storage). The main combat aircraft is still "Mirage-2000". In the ranks 174 machines of this type are the five modifications (27 old fighters "Mirage 2000S», 30 modernized fighters 5F, 34 designed for nuclear strike N, 8 combat training in, 75 most modern drum D, even 19 C, 2 5F, 19 N, 8 B, 1 D are in storage). In addition, 15 Mirage-4 medium-range bombers are in storage, up to 61 assault Jaguars (including 11 combat trainers) and 102 Mirage-F1 fighter (13 C, 5 C-200, XNXX) CT, 39 intelligence officer CR, 32 combat training B). The strategic command is armed with 13 ASMP-A ALCMs for which there are 54 – 58 nuclear warheads TN-60. In storage until 81 ALCM of the previous modification of ASMP.
How attack aircraft can be used 109 UBS "Alpha Jet" (up to 38 in storage).
In service - X-NUMX aircraft AWRLO E-4F, 3 REAR C-2G, 160 tankers (14 C-11FR, 135 KC-3R). Transport: 135 newest A8M (will be 400), up to 50 C-28Rs are on the display of racings (hl) 160 C-31H, 14 C-130H, 27 spanish CN-235M, 22 Brazilian EMB-121 (7x), HNUMXM 19 Brazilian EMB-700 (1x), HNUMXM, 5 Brazilian EMB-6 (2) in storage), 8 Canadian DHC-3, 310 DHC-1, 330 A2, 340 A2, 7 A5, 20 "Falkon-16X", 2 "Falkon-2000", and the NNXX "Falkon-2X", 900 "Falkon-18" , 140 Falcon-1. Training: 42 D-30 (76 in storage), 5 TV-36 (XNUMX in storage), XNUMX HK-XNUMX.
Fleet of helicopters: 42 AS555 (1 in storage), 11 EC725, 6 AS332 (1 in storage), 6 AS532 (2 in storage), 26 SA330 (21 – 27 in storage and in the process of production programs and 3-330 SA4 (365 – XNUMX in storage), and in XNUMX SAXNUMX (XNUMX – XNUMX in storage systems and in the process of production of the programs in XMNUMX)
The ground defense consists of 5 squadrons of the newest Mamba air defense system (SAMP / T). In each squadron of 2 batteries, the battery - 4 – 6 PU on 8 SAM.
Navy France carries the bulk of the country's nuclear potential. The Triumfan-type 4 SSBNs are based on the country's Atlantic coast, each boat carrying an 16 SLBM. A total of 16 SLXXXXX SLBMs (up to 45 in storage) are in service; more advanced M32 SLBMs, of which 51, are supposed to be purchased in total, 32. Both the M60 and the M45 can carry up to 51 nuclear warheads, for these SLBMs there is a TN-6 YABCH 290.
Also underwater navy 6 submarines of the Rubis type (all based on the Mediterranean coast of the country), instead of them it is planned to purchase the same number of Barracuda-class submarines.
On the Mediterranean Sea is based only atomic aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle". Most of the time, the ship is being repaired.
In the French Navy, formally there are no destroyers, ships of this class are called frigates of 1 rank. These include the 2 modern Forbin-type samples built in cooperation with Italy, the older 7 (2 - Kassar, 5 - Georges Leghy - two more of the same removed from the Navy, one of them in the sediment, the other used as a training), Aquitaine-type ship 3. The latter are built according to the FREMM project, also jointly with Italy, all of which are supposed to be 8 (instead of “Kassarov” and “Lehi”). In Italy, similar ships belong to the frigates. There are "classic" frigates: 5 "Lafayette", 6 "Floreal", 9 "D'Estin D'Or".
For the protection of the economic zone of the country, including overseas territories, 12 patrol ships of various types are used, having a long cruising range with purely symbolic weapons.
As part of the Navy - 18 minesweepers: 11 type "Eridan", 4 "Vulcan", 3 "Antares". The basis of the landing forces are 3 UDC "Mistral". There is also an 2 TDC "Batral" (2 still removed from the Navy and are in the sludge).
Naval aviation has 62 deck combat aircraft - 43 newest Rafale-M, 18 of old Super Etandar (20 – 23 in storage). There are 3 decked aircraft AWACO E-2C. At the same time, as mentioned above, the only aircraft carrier from which these aircraft can be used is more often repaired than at sea. On the naval aviation arms also are 26 «Atlantic-2» basic patrol aircraft (1-2 in storage), 28 transport (10 EMB-121 and 1 in storage, 18 «Falcons»), 7 educational CAP-10, to 25 antisubmarine helicopter "Links" Mk4 (6 for storage) and to 70 multipurpose cargo helicopters (11 AS365F, AS16SA 565, 15 SA319B until 13 SA316, NH13 90, 3 ES225).
There are no foreign troops in the country, while limited contingents are located in the overseas territories of France (in Guiana, Polynesia, Reunion), in the former African colonies (Djibouti, Chad, BSK, CAR, Gabon, Mali, Senegal).
Given the geographical location and the complete absence of external threats, the potential of the Armed Forces of the Fifth Republic is more than enough to ensure the country's defense. They can also be used to conduct limited interventions that the French regularly conduct in their former African colonies. However, the geopolitical ambitions of Paris are much greater than its real military capabilities, which the Elysian Palace categorically do not want to admit.
As for the Foreign Legion, after the abolition of military conscription in France in 2001, it largely lost its previous meaning. Now it is not necessary to stand under the gun instead of “respectable citizens”, for whoever does not want, does not go into the army, and Paris, in their previous sense, does not wage war. As in any developed country, in France, the transition from the draft to the hired principle of manning the armed forces led to their inevitable lumpenization. That is, now the "ordinary" parts are practically no different from the legion - either representatives of the lower classes for money or adventurers for adrenaline either go there. Accordingly, the value of the Legion falls. The salary in it is designed specifically for the lumpen, obtaining foreign legionnaires of French citizenship, contrary to existing myths, is not automatically and even at best, not quick. Continuing to serve Britain for two centuries, the Nepalese Gurkha remain the elite of the British army precisely because it is not a European, but an Asian people who purposefully prepare themselves for military service. And the Foreign Legion of France from the elite is increasingly turning into a myth about itself (it is necessary for our individual compatriots to know this, whom it still attracts). And this evolution is irreversible, as is the general degradation of European armies.
Information