Blindés à pied

Blindés à pied
The badge of the blindés à pied, inherited from the chars de combat and artillerie d'assaut before them.
Founded	20 May 1973
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Power armor operations, woodland warfare, urban warfare
Motto(s)	"En tuer !" ("Kill some!")

The blindés à pied (English: armor on foot), sometimes called Foot Blindes in English, are French Army infantrymen specialized in the employment of power armor. In addition, they are considered to be France's woodland and urban warfare specialists due to their ability to traverse complex terrain under armor.

They are represented in the French Army force structure in the form of battalion-sized régiments de blindés à pied (RBP) concentrated in Northeastern France and Belgium near the border with Germany. The French blindés à pied are in association with the Belgian corps des chasseurs ardennais (Ardennes Chasseur Corps) which itself consists of 2 active and 1 reserve power armored infantry regiment (battalion-sized). While French and Belgian units generally do not mix below the corps-level during Western Union operations in France and Belgium, Belgian chasseurs ardennais frequently reinforce the power armor component of France's rotational brigade forward deployed to Poland.

The corps de blindés à pied are a separate corps within the French Army infantry arm and have carried the traditions of the former chars de combat following the transfer of most tanks to the cavalry arm in the 1970s. Prior to 1973, power armor was issued to both the infantry and cavalry arms, the latter in the form of the cuirassiers à pied. However, with the realignment of blindés, the cuirassiers à pied were disbanded and their material and school were transferred to the infantry arm.

Units

The organization of the Régiment de Blindés à Pied (RBP).

The blindés à pied are contained within five régiments de blindés à pied (RBP) subordinate to French Infantry and Light Armored Divisions. During wartime a sixth regiment would be formed under the cadre 12th Light Armored Division from conscripts. Foot Blinde Regiments carry the lineage of the former régiment de chars de combat. The RBP is among the least numerous type of infantry regiments in the French Army, outside of other specialist units such as the paratroopers.

• 1^er corps d'armée (1^er CA)
  • 501^e régiment de blindés à pied (501^e RBP), 7^e division légère blindée (7^e DLB)
  • 504^e régiment de blindés à pied (504^e RBP) (cadre), 12^e division légère blindée – école (12^e DLB) (cadre)
• 2^e Corps d'armée (2^e CA)
  • 507^e régiment de blindés à pied (507^e RBP), 15^e division d'infanterie (15^e DI)
  • 509^e régiment de blindés à pied (509^e RBP), 15^e division d'infanterie (15^e DI)
• 3^e Corps d'armée (3^e CA)
  • 503^e régiment de blindés à pied (503^e RBP), 8^e division d'infanterie (8^e DI)
  • 505^e régiment de blindés à pied (505^e RBP), 8^e division d'infanterie (8^e DI)

Régiments de blindés à pied (RBP) organization

Maneuver regiments in the French Army are essentially large battalions in size. However, they have the ability to form two Tactical Groups (GT) by task organizing multiple organic and attached companies under extra staff sections within the regimental headquarters.

• Command and Echelon Company / CEC
  • Staff Platoon (Section état-major)
  • 2× Tactical Group Staffs (États-majors de groupement tactique) — Each is capable of taking command of a sub-regimental task force with organic and attached companies, or acting as a rear operations center
  • Protection Platoon (Section de protection)
  • Heavy Transport Platoon (Section de transport lourd) — Operates 5 tank transporter tractor-trailers capable of lifting the entire regiment's inventory of power armor platforms in a palletized form
  • Fuel, Ammunition & Battery Supply Platoon (Section ravitaillement carburant, munitions et piles)
  • Maintenance & Evacuation Group (Groupe dépannage, réparation, évacuation)
  • Medical Platoon (Section sanitaire)
  • Signal Platoon (Section transmissions)
• 4× Combat Companies
  • Command and Echelon Platoon (Section de commandement et d’échelon)
  • 3× Combat Platoons (Section de combat)
  • Support Platoon (Section d'appui)
• 1× Support & Scout Company / CEA