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
Tanks
AMX Leclerc	France	main battle tank	200		206 in storage
Armoured Recce
AMX-10 RC	France	Armoured recce	248		To be retired near the future and will be replaced by 248 EBRC vehicles.[4]
ERC 90 Sagaie	France	Armoured recce	100		60 in service by 2019
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.[5]
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	2,661		To be retired in late 2020 and to be replaced by 2,080 VBMR vehicles.[4] Vehicle numbers include some: 100 VAB MILAN, 175 VAB ERYX, 25 VAB Reco,[6] 30 VCAC Mephisto and 89 VOA.[1]
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]
Nexter Aravis	France	Mine-resistant ambush protected	14
Armoured engineering vehicles
Buffalo	United States	Mine-resistant ambush protected	4
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
Porteur polyvalent terrestre	France	Truck	200		1600 on order
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	2,500		13,500 delivered between 1982 and 1992, 600 withdrawn from service every year.
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 (32)
• CAESAR – 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer (77)
• TRF1 – 155 mm towed howitzer (12)
• RTF1 – 120 mm mortar (140)^[1]
• M270 MLRS - 227mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher (13)^[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	58	9 more on order. 40 HAP and 18 HAD. (All HAP will be upgraded to HAD standart)[18][19]
NHIndustries NH90	Europe	Transport helicopter	17	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	70
Eurocopter Caracal	France	Transport helicopter	8
Eurocopter Cougar	France	Transport helicopter	26
Aérospatiale Gazelle	France	Reconnaissance helicopter	102	One lost on 11 January 2013.[22]
Eurocopter Fennec	France	Training helicopter	18
UAVs
Sperwer	France	Reconnaissance	18

References

1. "Key defence figures 2015" (in French). Defense.gouv.fr.)
2. "France launches FAMAS replacement tender". www.janes.com. 2014-05-22. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
3. "Chiffres clés de la Défense 2015" September 9th, 2015 (in French)
4. http://wayback.archive.org/web/20140201233036/http://www.janes.com/article/33205/france-launches-major-new-vehicle-programmes France Launches Major New Vehicle Programs
5. "French receive 500th VBCI". Army Recognition.
6. "FRANCE". Armedforces.co.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
7. "French Army receives first BvS10 vehicles". Army-technology.com. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
8. Christopher F Foss (11 June 2011). "French Army builds up all-terrain fleet". Ihs.com. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
9. "Bv206S Tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier, Sweden". Army-technology.com. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
10. "One thousand PVP light armored vehicles in service". Armyrecognition.com. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
11. "Defender : le véhicule polyvalent de l'armée de Terre" (in French). defense.gouv.fr. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
12. "VPS Light 4x4 Special Forces patrol vehicle". Armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
13. Gulf Countries turn towards Wheeled Artillery
14. "Update: France receives first upgraded M270 LRU". www.janes.com. 2014-02-14. Archived from the original on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
15. "French Army to Upgrade 13 M270 to Launch the M31 Guided Unitary Rocket". www.deagel.com. 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
16. "Les chiffres de la defense edition 2011" (in French). Defense.gouv.fr. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
17. Flight Global World Air Forces 2014
18. Qualification finale du Tigre en version appui-destruction (HAD)
19. France Boosts Arms Spending
20. France Orders 34 More NH90 Helicopters – Defense-Aerospace.com, 30 May 2013
21. "French Army Light Aviation to receive six more NH90s | IHS Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
22. Air Forces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. March 2013. p. 32.

External links

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