Fiction:France/French Army

The French Army, officially Armée de Terre (English: Ground Army), is the component of the French Armed Forces responsible for orbital, atmospheric, and planetary warfare. It fields equipment specifically designed to operate in those theaters, unlike its counterpart, the French Starfleet.

Doctrine
Unlike in most militaries, the French Army is still its own entity within the French Armed Forces. It possesses its own starships, strike craft, and chain of command optimized to the conduct of orbital, atmospheric, and terrestrial warfare. On the ground, the French Army places emphasis on mobility and speed. Its C-41 Ulysse A3 main battle tank is lighter than most, while the infantry ride around in fast VAB's (véhicule de l'avant blindé) derived from the Australian F-22 LAV.

However, the French Army's main strength is in air power, as it fields one of the best strike craft fleet in the Orion Spur. It uses POTATO's excellent SEAD aircraft to clear the way for Super Mirage 3 bombers which will utterly devastate ground forces if left unopposed. Throughout every stage of an operation, the Mirage Roi A omnirole fighter provides support to ground and air forces alike.

Types of Regiments

 * Flag of France.png Régiment aeroporté - The very first troops on the ground in a planetary assault, the Régiments aeroporté (Airborne Regiments) are shuttled in aboard As Volant gunships with heavy gunship, SEAD, aerial, and orbital support. Their main purpose is to secure a landing zone for other troops riding aboard the more vulnerable Hercule-class landing craft. Every regiment is composed of two companies of parachutists, one aerial defense company, one armored company composed primarily of C-39 B3 light main battle tanks, and aerial support wings.
 * Flag of France.png Régiment d'infantrie - Composing the bulk of France's mechanized infantry deployments, Régiment d'infantrie (English: Infantry regiments) are versatile and capable of responding to changing conditions. They are fast responders by design, riding around in VAB F-22 armored infantry transports and escorted by C-40 light tanks. Each regiment is composed of two chasseur companies, one aerial defense company, and one light tank company.
 * Flag of France.png Régiment d'infantrie de réserve - Rarely seen on an active battlefield, France's reserve infantry are often raw recruits called into service by sheer necessity. They train on the move and are employed as stopgap troops in the quietest part of any given front, freeing more experienced units to fight where they are needed. Depending on France's resources at the time of their enlistment, they may have the equipment of a regular infantry regiment or find themselves with outdated surplus equipment. The same principle applies to whether they would be riding around in the VAB VTT's or VLRA transport trucks. Each regiment is composed of three reservist companies, one aerial defense company, and one tank company composed primarily of C-39B3's.
 * Flag of France.png Régiment blindé - Armored regiments compose the mainstay of France's maneuver warfare strategy. French tanks are quick, maneuverable, and hard to detect, though they lack in armor. Their superb guns pack quite a punch. Though old C-39B3 armored regiments still exist, most have been replaced with the new C-40 and C-41 Ulysse A3 combination. While the Ulysse main battle tank forms the mainstay of the armored line, the C-40 light tank is designed to act as a quick response force, traveling in groups along to battle line to reinforce weak points and press an advantage. Each regiment is composed of two main battle tank companies, one light tank company, and one aerial defense company.
 * Flag of France.png Régiment d'artillerie - Though France has mortars embedded in infantry regiments, they still maintain old-style dedicated artillery support regiments. Composed mainly of the C-39 artillerie volante artillery piece, they act in concert with other regiments. Unlike many artillery pieces, these are designed to be mobile, evading counterbattery fire rather than absorbing it through the use of armor and shielding. Their speed also allows them to get from one point to another, a critical aspect of an effective defense. Each regiment is composed of two artillery companies, one aerial defense company, and one chasseur company.
 * Flag of France.png Régiment d'appui aérien - One of France's greatest strengths is close air support. Aided by POTATO-made SEAD aircraft, Mirage Roi A's and Super Mirage 3 rain destruction on unprotected ground forces.
 * Flag of France.png Régiment logistique - Tasked with maintaining the flow of supplies throughout the army, the Régiment logistique (English: Logistic Regiment) deploys Hercule BOAM's that act as forward operating bases, filled with supplies, ammunition, repair equipment, and VLRA cargo trucks to carry them to ground troops that need them.
 * Flag of France.png Régiment d'artillerie hyperspatiale - Hyperspatial artillery is a major component of France's border defense strategy. These hulking pieces of equipment fire missiles into hyperspace to deter and shoot down any unidentified craft that might venture too close. These are exclusively deployed on the defensive, and are generally evacuated before an invasion can occur. Each regiment is composed of two C-39 Harpon companies, one aerial defense company, and one chasseur company. In a time of war, the singular company of chasseurs is often replaced with two reservist companies.

Infantry
Line infantry: Specialists: These infantry are often embedded within companies of all types and rarely act alone. Despite their low numbers, the services they provide are indispensable.
 * Flag of France.png Chasseurs - The Chasseurs à pied (English: Hunters on foot) trace their history back to the Napoleonic Wars. Originally light infantry troops, the Chasseurs have evolved into France's main line riflemen. They are protected by body armor and light personnel shields, while their main weapons consist of rapid firing plasma rifles.
 * Flag of France.png RIMa - RIMa, short for régiment d'infanterie marine (English: Regiment of marine infantry) are ship-board infantry specializing in boarding operations and starship security.
 * Flag of France.png Fusiliers - The Fusiliers (English: Riflemen) act as France's shock troops, leading other infantry in an assault. Their training and equipment places emphasis on mobility. As such, they do not carry bulky ATGM's, instead opting for unguided short-range missile launchers.
 * Flag of France.png Parachutistes - While the Fusiliers are trained to attack from the ground, the Parachutistes, (English: Parachutists) descend from the sky. They are typically the first boots on a planet, deposited on the surface using specialized gunships in the heat of battle. Their arsenal is similar to that of the Fusiliers, though it is widely considered that their training is far more arduous.
 * Flag of France.png Réservistes - While France does not impose mandatory military service on its citizens, many choose to enlist within the reserves. Réservistes (English: Reservists) are only deployed in the rarest of circumstances and in the safest of places. Whatever training these citizen soldiers receive places a lot of emphasis on the defense. As a result, they are poor on the attack, but can hold a position decently.
 * Flag of France.png Hussards - Recon infantry, typically embedded within infantry and artillery companies. When not deployed from the air, they often ride around in VAB F-22 Reco's.
 * Flag of France.png Grenadiers - Having left behind their heritage as shock troops, French Grenadiers have evolved into heavy-weapons specialists, carrying around bulky equipment like anti-tank guided missile launchers and heavy machine guns. Masters of the defense, their bulk makes them awkward on the offense. Each company of chasseurs employs several squads of Grenadiers.
 * Flag of France.png Mortiers - Traveling along with the infantry are specialized BAV F-22 OUCH mobile mortars. Mortiers refers to the personnel trained in their use.
 * Flag of France.png Sappeurs - Sappeurs (English: Sappers) are combat engineers tasked with building or destroying bridges, trenches, and bunkers, and mine fields. They ride around in VAB F-22 Érudit's and are embedded in armored, artillery, and mechanized infantry regiments.
 * Flag of France.png Forces Spécial - Special forces. Equipped with the latest in subversive warfare technology, these are the aces up the sleeve of French commanders.

Vehicles

 * Flag of France.png Roreinia 2.png 
 * Flag of France.png C-41 Ulysse A3 - main battle tank
 * Flag of France.png C-41 Ulysse A3 PC - command variant main battle tank
 * Flag of France.png C-40
 * Flag of France.png C-40 - light tank
 * Flag of France.png C-40 PC - command variant light tank
 * Flag of France.png C-39
 * Flag of France.png C-39 B3 - light main battle tank
 * Flag of France.png Batterie Volante - flying battery artillery
 * Flag of France.png Maxin 3B - anti-aircraft-missile
 * Flag of France.png Maxin Protecteur 2 - anti-missile-missile
 * Flag of France.png C-39 Harpon 5 - hyperspatial artillery
 * Flag of France.png VLRA 2790 - logistics truck
 * Flag of Australia.png F-22 LAV
 * Flag of France.png VAB F-22 VTT - light armored transport with room for twelve––two in the front, ten in the back; armed with light anti-personnel weapons
 * Flag of France.png VAB F-22 PC - command variant
 * Flag of France.png VAB F-22 RV - vehicle repair
 * Flag of France.png VAB F-22 Érudit - engineering vehicle meant to build bridges, clear mine fields and other obstacles, etc
 * Flag of France.png VAB F-22 Reco - recon and artillery command and control vehicle
 * Flag of France.png VAB F-22 Santo - armored field ambulance with room for ten passengers or four stretchers
 * Flag of France.png VAB F-22 OUCH - mortar

Aerospace

 * Flag of France.png Mirage Roi
 * Flag of France.png Mirage Roi A - omnirole fighter
 * Flag of France.png Mirage Roi Dominant - stealth bomber
 * Flag of France.png AEAFlag.png Mirage Revenant - stealth bomber
 * Flag of France.png 
 * Flag of France.png Super Mirage B - voltigeur bomber
 * POTATO Flag.png Swallow - low-atmospheric SEAD
 * POTATO Flag.png Cloud Hawk - high-atmospheric SEAD/aerial reconnaissance
 * Flag of France.png As Volant
 * Flag of France.png As Volant - gunship
 * Flag of France.png As Volant Transport - gunship transport
 * Flag of France.png As Volant Blindé - vehicle transport
 * AEAFlag.png Boomslang Dropcraft
 * Flag of France.png Serpent Arboricole - stealth transport

Ships

 * Flag of France.png Céleste-class - ship of the line
 * Flag of France.png Orleans-class - combat carrier
 * Flag of France.png Cassiel-class - line frigate
 * Flag of France.png Hercule-class - heavy transport/landing craft
 * Flag of France.png Hercule-class BOAM - mobile forward operating base
 * Flag of South Africa.png Heroine-class
 * Flag of France.png Heroine-class - heavy corvette with a needle-shaped design; fire support, orbital artillery