French unit sizes as an indication of casualites they have taken in the war

[RN7]

It is possible that GDW made some errors in manpower figures when listing the French orbat in RDF.

From RDF:

The French Force Actione Rapide (FAR or Rapid Action Force) is the visible symbol of French military and diplomatic presence in the Persian Gulf region. The FAR was created in the 1980's to provide France with power projection capabilities similar to those of CENTCOM. Like CENTCOM, it is a unified command.

The first major deployment of the FAR came in the fall of 1995. The Foreign Legion Operational Group was activated and sent to Djibouti to assist in internal security duties. A task force of French Marine Infantry was stationed at Dakar at the request of the Senegalese government. In 1998, when the Franco-Belgian Union was formed, Senegal and Djibouti became member nations. The biggest break came when the governments of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia gave permission for France to station troops in their countries (to the chagrin of some Americans in the region). The Paris government responded quickly and by fall of 1998, the 9th Marine Infantry Division and the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division were in the region along with supporting elements. There they have remained, providing a visible symbol of France's commitment to the stability of the region (and to assure that France gets its share when the Americans leave).

Structure: The FAR, like CENTCOM, is composed of forces from all the military services of the nation. The ground force component consists of the 9th Marine Infantry Division, the 11th Airborne Division, the 1st Light Armored Division, and the Foreign Legion Operational Group. The naval component is built around the Guided Missile Cruiser Jean Bart, and her escorts. Special operations are handled through the Unconventional Warfare Operations Group, which controls the Marine Commando Group (naval commandos) and the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment.

Not all of these units are fully deployed in the Persian Gulf


RDF French Order of Battle

Rapid Action Force (FAR) HQ: Djibouti, Djibouti
Foreign Legion Operational Group (GOLE) HQ: Djibouti
13th Foreign Legion Demi-brigade (500 men) Djibouti
1st Foreign Legion Infantry Rgt (600 men) Basra, Iraq
2nd Foreign Legion Infantry Rgt (600 men) Djibouti
1st Foreign Legion Cavalry Rgt (600 men, 24 AFVs): Djibouti
2nd Foreign Legion Parachute Rgt (600 men) Al Kuwayt,Kuwayt

11th Airborne Division HQ: Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia
2nd Brigade HQ: Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia
425 Airborne Support Command (300 men): Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia
1st Senegalese Parachute Rgt (600 men): Al Qatif, SA
6th Marine Parachute Rgt (750 men): Al Qatif, SA
3rd Marine Parachute Rgt (750 men): Al Qatif, SA
1st Airborne Chasseur Rgt (750 men): Al Qatif, SA
1st Marine Parachute Rgt (700 men): Basra, Iraq
1st/35th Abn Arty Rgt (200 men): Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia
3rd Troop, 1 st Airborne Hussar Rgt (120 men, 24 AFVs): Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia
2nd Company, 17th Airborne Engineer Rgt
2nd Company, 5th Combat Helicopter Rgt (12 Dauphin, 4 Ecureils, 4 Super Pumas)

9th Marine Division HQ: Al Kuwayt, Kuwayt
Marine Group HQ: Al Kuwayt, Kuwayt
1st Marine Infantry Rgt (500 men): Al Kuwayt, Kuwayt
2nd Marine Infantry Rgt (500 men): Al Kuwayt, Kuwayt
1st/11th Marine Arty Rgt (180 men): Al Kuwayt, Kuwayt
1st Company, 1st Marine Tank Rgt (120 men, 13 AFVs):
Al Kuwayt, Kuwayt

Middle East Aviation Group HQ: Al Kuwayt, Kuwayt
15th Ftr Squadron (200 men, 16 Mirage 2000s)
25th Ftr Squadron (200 men, 16 Mirage 2000s)
292nd Attack Squadron (200 men, 16 Mirage 4000s)
161st Transport Squadron (300 men, 8 Transall C-160)
193rd Air Refuelling Squadron (300 men, 4 KC-110s)


The real life FAR was composed of the following units.

4th Division Aeromobile: Nancy
6th Division Legere Blindee: Nimes
9th Division Marine: Nantes
11th Division Parachutiste: Toulouse
27th Division Alpine: Grenoble
Brigade logistique de la FAR: Maisons Lafittes
19th Brigade d’artillerie: Maisons Lafittes


4th Division Aeromobile - Nancy, France: 5100 personnel
1st Regiment d'Infanterie (RI): 64 Milan, 8 81mm mortars, 12 120mm mortars
1st Regt d'Helicopteres de Combat (RHC): 8 Alouette III, 24 Gazelle/HOT, 8 Gazelle/20mm, 24 Super Puma
3rd Regt d'Helicopteres de Combat (RHC): 8 Alouette III, 24 Gazelle/HOT, 8 Gazelle/20mm, 24 Super Puma
5th Regt d'Helicopteres de Combat (RHC): 8 Alouette III, 24 Gazelle/HOT, 8 Gazelle/20mm, 24 Super Puma
4th Regiment de Commande-ment et de Manoeuvre (RCS) – Nancy: 8 Alouette III, 8 Super Puma
9th Regiment de Soutien Aéromobile – Phalsbourg:

6th Division Legere Blindee (DLB) - Nimes, France: 7400 personnel - Light Armoured Division
1st Regiment de Spahis (RS) – Valence: 36 AMX10RC, 3 VAB, 12 VAB/HOT
1st Regiment Etrangere de Cavalerie (REC) – Orange: 36 AMX10RC, 3 VAB, 12 VAB/HOT
2nd Regt Etrangere d'Infanterie (REI) – Nimes: VAB Regiment
21st Regt d'Infanterie de Marine (RIMa) – Fréjus: VAB Regiment
68th Regiment d'Artillerie (RA) – La Valbonee: 24 BF50 155mm towed
43rd Regiment d’Artillerie de Marine – La Valbonne: Moblization only
6th Regiment Etrangere du Genie (REG)(Foreign Legion Combat Engineers):
6th Regiment de Commande-ment et de Soutien (RCS) – Nimes:

9th Division Marine - St Malo, France: 8000 personnel
Regiment d'Infanterie-Chars de Marine (RICM) – Vannes: 36 ERC-90S (to AMX-10RC, 1990), 3 VAB, 12 VAB/HOT
1st Regt d'Infanterie de Marine (RIMa) – Angoulême: 36 ERC-90S (to AMX-10RC, 1990), 3 VAB, 12 VAB/HOT
2nd Regt d'Infanterie de Marine (RIMa) – Le Mans: Marine Infantry Regiment
3rd Regt d'Infanterie de Marine (RIMa) – Vannes: Marine Infantry Regiment
11th Regiment d'Artillerie de Marine (RAMa) – La Lande d’Ouee: 24 BF50 155mm towed
2nd Regiment d’Artillerie de Marine (RAMa) – Montlhery: Mobilization only
6th Regiment du Genie (RG)(Combat Engineers) – Angers: 2 companies
9th Regiment de Commande-ment et de Soutien (RCS) – Nantes:

11th Division Parachutiste - Toulouse, France: 13500 personnel
1st Regiment de Hussards Parachutists (RHP) – Tarbes: 36 ERC 90S, 12 Milan
1st Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine (RPIMa) – Bayonne: Parachute Infantry Regiment
3rd Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine (RPIMa) – Carcasonne: Parachute Infantry Regiment
6th Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine (RPIMa) – Mont de Marsan: Parachute Infantry Regiment
8th Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine (RPIMa) – Castres: Parachute Infantry Regiment
1st Regt de Chasseurs Parachutiste (RCP) – Saint-Médard-en-Jalles Camp de Souge: Parachute Infantry Regiment
9th Regt de Chasseurs Parachutiste (RCP) – Pamiers: Parachute Infantry Regiment
2nd Regiment Etrangere Parachutiste (REP) – Calvi: Parachute Infantry Regiment
35th Regiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste (RAP) – Tarbes: 24 AU50 105mm towed
24th Regiment d’Artillerie – Saint Avold: Mobilization only
17th Regiment du Genie Parachutiste (RGP)(Airborne Combat Engineers) – Montauban:
7th Regiment Parachutiste de Commande-ment et de Soutien (RPCS) – Castres:
14th Regiment Parachutiste de Commande-ment et de Soutien (RPCS) – Toulouse:

27th Division Alpine - Grenoble, France: 8500 personnel
4th Regiment de Chasseurs metropolitains (RCh): 36 AML-90, 3 VAB, 12 Jeeps w/Milan
6th Battalion Chasseurs Alpin (BCA) – Varces: Alpine Infantry Battalion
7th Battalion Chasseurs Alpin (BCA) – Bourg Saint Maurice: Alpine Infantry Battalion
11th Battalion Chasseurs Alpin (BCA) – Barcelonnette: Alpine Infantry Battalion
13th Battalion Chasseurs Alpin (BCA) – Chambéry: Alpine Infantry Battalion
27th Battalion Chasseurs Alpin (BCA) – Annecy: Alpine Infantry Battalion
159th Regiment d'Infanterie Alpine (RIA) – Briancon: Alpine Infantry Battalion
93rd Regiment d'Artillerie Alpine – Varces: 24 AU50 105mm towed
75th Regiment d’Artillerie Alpine – Varces: Mobilization only
7th Battalion du Genie Alpine (BGDA) – Avignon:
27th Groupe-ment d'Helicopteres (GHL): 19 Alouette III, 11 Super Puma, 30 Gazelle/HOT
27th Regiment de Commande-ment et de Soutien (RCS) – Grenoble:

FAR Organic Units
17th Regiment de Commande-ment et de Soutien (RCS) – Maisons-Lafitte:
28th Regiment de Transmissions – Orleans:
602nd Regiment de Circulation Routiere – Dijon:
511th Regiemnt du Train:

Foreign Legion Group - Aubagne, France:
1st Regt Etrangere d'Infanterie (REI): VAB Regiment

Other
1t Regiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine (RPIMa) - used for SAS type missions:
Fusiliers-Marins: A 590 man 6 company Marine Commando unit.

East Africa – All units in Djibouti
13th Demi Brigade Legion Etrangere: 3 Infantry Cos, 1 AMX-10RC co, 1 mixed 105mm/155mm artillery battery
5th Regiment Inter-Armees Outre Mere: 3 Infanty Cos, 1 AMX-13 co, 1 mixed 105mm/155mm artillery battery
ALAT Detachment: 5 medium transport helicopters (SA-330)
10th Battalion de Commande-ment et de Soutien (BCS)
Squadron, Armee de l’Aire: 10 F-1C, 1 C-160, 2 SA-316, 1 SA-319