Preface
This field reference
summarizes the personal, squad, local-support and ground-vehicle systems most
likely to be encountered by French Foreign Legion personnel on Aurore. It is
intended for familiarization, recognition and practical comparison. It is not a
complete catalogue of French military matériel, nor does inclusion imply that
every formation holds every listed system.
Legion equipment is drawn
from several generations of French service issue, allied designs, colonial
purchases and locally supported stocks. Model, manufacturer and national origin
matter because weapons and protective systems that appear similar may impose
very different requirements for ammunition, power, software and maintenance.
Contents
·
1. Equipment philosophy and procurement
context
·
2. Personal field equipment
·
3. Small arms and squad weapons
·
4. Grenades, missiles and local fire support
· 5. Armor and personal protection
1. Equipment
philosophy and procurement context
1.1 Advanced
engineering, recognizable machines
French military equipment in
2297 is technologically sophisticated. Advanced materials, compact power
systems, advanced electronics, adaptive control software, automation and
precision weapons have enhanced performance across all metrics, but they have not
abolished mass, terrain, heat, maintenance or fuel economy.
An armored carrier remains a
protected vehicle whose principal purpose is carrying infantry. A cargo machine
still devotes most of its volume to cargo. Powered equipment requires power and
cooling. The future is most visible in integration: sensors, weapons,
protection and support machinery exchange information and often share
components that were once unique to a single platform.
1.2
Preferential treatment — and its limits
The Foreign Legion occupies a
favored but sometimes contradictory position within French procurement. Its
expeditionary and colonial responsibilities give it priority for personal
weapons, environmental protection, communications, portable support systems,
medical equipment and the specialized logistics needed to sustain isolated
deployments.
This preference does not
extend equally to heavy combat vehicles, major artillery, aerospace craft and
other expensive systems dominated by the Metropolitan Army and specialist
commands. Legion formations may receive such equipment as attachments, inherit
older examples or compete with Army formations for new production. Arguments
over allocation, maintenance responsibility and Army vehicles which have
mysteriously acquired Legion modifications are longstanding features of French
service life.
1.3 New
equipment must prove itself
The Legion is frequently
selected to test new equipment, but does not confuse novelty with reliability.
A system that performs impressively during trials in France may prove less
satisfactory after months of dust, temperature extremes, irregular power and
maintenance several worlds from its manufacturer.
Rugged construction,
accessible components, interchangeable parts and useful degraded modes are
therefore valued alongside nominal performance. An older system repairable at a
colonial workshop may be preferred to a more capable replacement dependent upon
proprietary diagnostics or a supply chain measured in light-years. This
attitude is strongest among technical personnel and experienced noncommissioned
officers, who must keep the equipment working after the procurement
presentation has ended.
1.4 French
systems and foreign influences
France has a long tradition
of designing and manufacturing its own military equipment. Domestic production
is regarded as both a strategic necessity and a matter of national prestige.
French procurement has never been entirely insular, however. Foreign systems
are purchased when necessary, while useful technologies are licensed, copied,
adapted or incorporated into French designs.
American development
influenced both the 9×44 mm weapon family and the 9×24 mm French service-pistol
cartridge. Russian forces were early major adopters of Gauss small arms, and
their operational experience informed later French programmes. Japanese vehicle
technology became particularly influential after Japan entered the Central
Asian War alongside France. The finished system may carry a French designation
and emerge from a French factory while owing something to several allied
traditions.
1.5
Commonality, local adaptation and the technical tail
Interstellar shipping and
dispersed deployments reward common power connections, diagnostics, controls,
ammunition and replaceable modules. Mission equipment may change more quickly
than the chassis or weapon carrying it. Perfect standardization is neither
expected nor achieved: equipment purchased in different decades remains in
service, local workshops manufacture substitutes, and arriving formations bring
their own maintenance histories.
The Legion is classified as
light infantry because it owns comparatively little heavy armor, major
artillery and aerospace equipment. It is not light because its soldiers lack
machinery. A battalion may operate hundreds of crewed, powered and robotic systems
while remaining light by the standards of a continental field army. Power
generation, charging, software support and technical recovery now form a
logistical class alongside fuel, ammunition, water and conventional spare
parts.
1.6
Technology, tradition and failure
Official training maxim. La technique multiplie; la discipline demeure. —
Technology multiplies; discipline remains.
The Legion is an enthusiastic
user of advanced weapons, sensors, powered equipment and robotics. It is also
unusually conscious of how rapidly those capabilities can disappear when power,
communications or technical support are disrupted. Colonial service makes the
dependence visible: a failed component replaceable within hours in France may
remain unavailable for months on a distant world.
Equipment is selected for
useful degraded modes wherever practical. Training places similar emphasis upon
manual alternatives. Legion personnel practise navigation without shared
overlays, target identification without network confirmation, casualty treatment
without automated diagnostics and movement without powered load assistance. The
object is not to pretend that technology is unnecessary, but to prevent a
technical failure from becoming immediate organizational collapse.
Traditional drill and esprit
de corps contribute directly to this resilience. They reinforce a human chain
of command that does not depend upon a tactical network and help dispersed
groups retain cohesion when the technical framework fails. The Legion cultivates
the image that a legionnaire can cross a continent with a rifle, boots and bad
coffee. Its technical and logistical personnel work very hard to ensure that he
is rarely required to prove it.
2. Personal
field equipment
2.1 Clothing
and environmental equipment
Ordinary Legion field dress
combines durable clothing, weather protection, load-bearing equipment and
modular environmental layers. Uniforms are designed to work beneath armor and
powered assistance without requiring a completely different wardrobe for every
configuration.
Standard French equipment is
adapted through interchangeable liners, filters, cooling systems, protective
coatings and environmental accessories. Local procurement is common where
colonial products are adequate or unusual planetary conditions make local equipment
more suitable than general-service issue. Boots, outer clothing, shelter
material and protective accessories may therefore vary considerably between
Legion commands.
Such purchases remain subject
to military inspection, but distant formations receive considerable latitude. A
locally manufactured item proven under local conditions is often more useful
than a regulation replacement several worlds away. On Aurore, water carriage,
thermal protection, eye protection, dust control and circadian-management
equipment receive particular attention.
2.2 Powered
load assistance and cargo handling
Legion infantry routinely use
powered load-assist frames. These are not sealed powered armor. They transfer
equipment weight to the ground, reduce fatigue, stabilize firing positions,
assist casualty movement and heavy lifting, and provide standardized power and
data connections for carried systems.
The soldier remains mobile if
a normal assist frame fails, although endurance and carrying capacity decline
sharply. Improved capacity naturally encourages the institution to issue more
armor, batteries, ammunition, missiles, drones and environmental equipment
until the soldier is once again carrying as much as doctrine permits.
Larger power loaders are
vehicles rather than suits. The Saint-Chamond CH-90 is a common
operator-controlled loader used for ammunition, cargo modules and vehicle
components. The operator occupies a control frame or compact cab and directs
articulated lifting arms. It remains valuable when cargo is damaged, irregular
or poorly marked and when automated handling systems cannot be trusted.
The Satory MR-94 is
representative of fully robotic cargo handlers used at depots, landing fields
and established bases. It unloads standardized containers, replenishes vehicles
and moves stores continuously under limited supervision. The Army programme de
robotisation du soutien seeks to release personnel from repetitive handling
work, but units retain piloted loaders for damaged infrastructure, improvised
cargo and emergency operations.
|
Equipment class |
Representative system |
Normal use |
|
Wearable
assist |
EPI-compatible
load frame |
Personal
load carriage and casualty movement |
|
Piloted
loader |
Saint-Chamond
CH-90 |
Irregular
cargo, repair work and field handling |
|
Robotic
loader |
Satory
MR-94 |
Depot,
landing-field and standardized cargo handling |
2.3
Communications, sensors and medical systems
Helmet displays, weapon
sights, vehicles, drones and command systems exchange information through
encrypted tactical networks. Common equipment includes multispectral imaging,
navigation and terrain mapping, shared target designation, electronic-support measures,
counter-drone sensors, atmospheric and xenobiological monitors and compact
medical diagnostics.
This is a priority area for
Legion procurement. Dispersed colonial operations make reliable communications,
environmental monitoring and local awareness matters of survival rather than
convenience. The same equipment is expensive and technically demanding.
Batteries, replacement sensors, encryption control, software support and
trained maintainers impose a considerable burden upon companies and battalions.
Legion medical practice
reflects the same dispersed conditions. More personnel receive advanced trauma
training than is usual in equivalent Army formations, while designated medics
are equipped to stabilize serious casualties without immediate access to a
physician or evacuation aircraft. Compact diagnostics, automated drug delivery,
blood substitutes and environmental treatment systems improve survival, but do
not replace skilled judgment. Legion medicine at squad and platoon level is
particularly good at keeping a casualty alive until proper treatment can be
reached.
Connectivity increases speed
but also creates signatures and vulnerabilities. Units retain voice, visual,
wired and procedural fallbacks. A platoon cut off from the network should
become less efficient, not incapable of acting.
2.4 The
ordinary burden and local supply
Beneath the sophisticated
layer remains the ordinary burden of military life: boots, shelter, food,
water, hygiene equipment, medical supplies, entrenching tools, spare clothing,
socks and eating utensils. No technological advance has eliminated the operational
importance of dry feet, clean water or a spoon.
Many such goods are procured
on the world where they will be used. Orbital and interstellar transport is
routine but not free, and high-bulk, low-value cargo competes poorly with
weapons, electronics and specialist components. Food, containers, clothing,
packaging, simple tools, shelter components and ordinary consumables are
therefore purchased or produced locally whenever acceptable sources exist.
The Legion is generally more
comfortable with local supply than the Metropolitan Army. This flexibility
reduces transport requirements and supports colonial industry, but produces
uneven quality, nonstandard stocks and compatibility problems. It also ties a
formation to its present world: contracts, workshops and accumulated reserves
cannot accompany a unit when it redeploys.
The 13e DBLE benefits more
than most from local procurement because it is an established Aurore formation
rather than a temporary expeditionary force. Its knowledge of local producers
and workshops is itself a logistical asset, although advanced weapons and
specialist components must still arrive from elsewhere.
Briefing-room
version. Le matériel tombe en panne. La mission demeure. — Equipment
fails. The mission remains.
3. Small arms
and squad weapons
3.1 FAM-90
rifle family
The FAM-90 is the standard
rifle of the French Army and Foreign Legion. It is a Gauss weapon firing small
projectiles at extreme velocity. The FAM-90P precision variant uses the same
family with a longer barrel, precision components and enhanced optics. Both
accept the standard integral programmable grenade launcher.
The rifle's integrated sight
was considered exceptional when introduced and remains among the best military
small-arms fire-control systems available. It combines optical magnification,
low-light amplification, thermal imaging, laser rangefinding and atmospheric
compensation. Target motion, range, wind and weapon orientation produce a
continuously updated aiming solution. The sight does not merely help the
soldier see; it indicates corrected points of aim, predicts movement, programs
grenades and exchanges target data with the squad network.
The FAM-90 also provides a
useful close counter-drone capability. Its Gauss mechanism can fire ordinary
ballistic projectiles at reduced energy and a much higher rate than normally
used against personnel. Predictive sights place short bursts across a drone's
anticipated path. When several rifles share the combat network, targets and
firing sectors can be assigned between soldiers. This is effective against
small, low-end drones but consumes power and ammunition rapidly and does not
replace dedicated point defence.
Gauss weapons are highly
effective against flexible inertial armor and remain dangerous to hard plates.
Their performance comes with requirements for electrical power, electronic
diagnostics and trained maintenance.
3.2
Conventional weapons and colonial stocks
The MAS FA-78 was the
principal French 9×44 mm service rifle before the FAM-90. It belongs to an
ammunition family of American origin and shares its caseless smart-fused
projectile with the AAT-78 general-purpose machine gun. The round remains
dangerous to personnel, cover, equipment and light vehicles, although the rifle
is heavy and less effective against modern armor than the FAM-90.
The Franco-Bavarian
MAS-Mauser FSA-68, designated StG 68 in Bavarian service, is a well-regarded
7.5 mm binary-propellant rifle developed during close military cooperation
between the two states. French and Bavarian versions differ in furniture and
sights but share their action, magazines and ammunition. The weapon remains
common in reserve forces, colonial militias and among troops familiar with
Bavarian equipment.
The Argentine Arsenales
Belgrano FB-78 Pampero is another widespread 7.5 mm design. Built for forces
unable to rely upon elaborate maintenance, it is simple, inexpensive and
tolerant of locally manufactured ammunition. It lacks the FAM-90's refined
integration but has become one of the most frequently encountered colonial
service rifles outside the arsenals of the major powers.
The PAM9 service pistol,
manufactured in several French plants under a common military specification,
uses the American-derived 9×24 mm caseless cartridge. It is standard among
officers, vehicle crews, military police and personnel for whom a full rifle is
inconvenient.
|
Weapon |
Origin |
Service character |
|
MAS
FA-78 |
France
/ American ammunition lineage |
Older
9×44 mm explosive-projectile service rifle |
|
MAS-Mauser
FSA-68 / StG 68 |
France
and Bavaria |
Reliable
allied 7.5 mm binary-propellant rifle |
|
Arsenales
Belgrano FB-78 Pampero |
Argentina |
Robust
and widely exported colonial rifle |
|
PAM9 |
France
/ American cartridge lineage |
Standard
9×24 mm caseless service pistol |
3.3 FM-94 and
AAT-78 automatic weapons
The FM-94 is the current
French Gauss squad automatic weapon. It reduces ammunition weight, integrates
with modern fire control and performs well against armored infantry. The older
AAT-78 is heavier and more ammunition-hungry, but rugged, independent of weapon
power and capable of sustained 9×44 mm explosive fire.
Many nations pair their 7.5
mm binary-propellant rifles with a machine gun using the same ammunition.
France evaluated several such weapons and issued limited numbers to reserve and
colonial formations, but the Legion never adopted them widely. The AAT-78
offered greater range and effect against protected targets; the Legion
consequently moved from the 9×44 mm AAT directly toward the Gauss FM-94.
Vehicle-mounted AAT-78s
remain common because mounting removes the ammunition burden and exploits
vehicle sensors, stabilization, cooling and storage. Dual-feed installations
normally carry standard explosive armor-piercing ammunition and the Munitions du
Rhône OFP-94 proximity-fragmentation round. The OFP-94 sacrifices penetration
for a prefragmented casing, programmable proximity fuze and automatic
self-destruction, making it useful against drones, missiles, grenades and
mortar bombs.
The small proximity sensor is
not entirely reliable near terrain, vegetation or electronic clutter. Vehicle
fire control compensates by placing short calculated bursts around the
predicted interception point. An infantry AAT-78 can fire the OFP-94, but without
suitable sensors and programming equipment gains little from doing so.
The argument in
the ranks. Higher command considers the FAM-90, FAM-90P, FM-94 and
squad plasma gun an exceptionally powerful combination. The troops agree — and
still miss the AAT-78 that went brrrrrt.
3.4
Quinn-Darlan Mk 2-A2 PGMP
The Foreign Legion was among
the earliest and heaviest French adopters of man-portable plasma weapons. On
paper, the PGMP answered several colonial requirements with one reusable
system: antivehicle fire, defeat of armored personnel, precision attack against
fortified positions and protection against dangerous native life. It gave
dispersed squads a measure of the direct-fire capability otherwise supplied by
vehicles, missiles or attached support weapons.
Each standard Legion rifle
squad includes a gunner and assistant for the 12 kg Quinn-Darlan Mk 2-A2 Plasma
Gun, Man-portable. Several features of the Mk 2-A2 reflect Legion experience
with earlier weapons: mounting, power connections, cooling and controls were
redesigned for prolonged dismounted use under colonial conditions.
A plasma impact resembles a
shaped-charge event more than an ordinary high-explosive detonation. The
primary pulse concentrates enormous energy into a small area, producing a
secondary explosion of vaporized material, incandescent debris, pressure and fragmentation.
This is dangerous to exposed personnel near the impact, especially in confined
spaces, but does not create the broad casualty radius of a proper explosive
shell. A direct hit makes ordinary personal armor largely irrelevant.
The apparent economy carries
a different logistical cost. The PGMP requires power, cooling, trained
operators and specialist maintenance. It cannot suppress an area like a machine
gun or produce the broad effect of mortar fire. The Legion nevertheless considers
the trade worthwhile for squads expected to operate beyond immediate vehicle
support.
The French Army fields the
PGMP widely in high-readiness, assault and expeditionary formations but does
not place one in every squad. The United States is another extensive user of
man-portable plasma weapons. Japan fields technically advanced but expensive
systems, while German formations tend to concentrate them at platoon level.
Plasma guns remain uncommon among forces unable to support their power and
maintenance requirements.
3.5 Laser
rifles in French service
Laser rifles are mature
military weapons and can replace a conventional or Gauss service rifle on
approximately a one-for-one basis. Modern examples have rifle-like handling,
self-contained power, combat sights and, in some models, integral grenade launchers.
Several advanced militaries use them as general-service weapons.
France selected the Gauss
FAM-90 as its universal rifle but maintains laser weapons for special forces,
reconnaissance, aerospace-security troops and other formations whose missions
reward precision, negligible recoil and almost instantaneous time of flight.
The CILAS-Saint-Étienne FL-92 is the principal French model; the FL-92G adds a
compact programmable grenade launcher.
Laser fire is exceptionally
accurate and effective against exposed sensors, drones and damaged armor.
Smoke, dust, fog, precipitation and purpose-designed obscurants reduce
practical range. The weapon also generates substantial heat and depends upon
clean optics and functioning power modules. The Legion has evaluated and
occasionally deployed the FL-92 but retains the FAM-90 as standard because its
physical projectile is less sensitive to adverse atmospheric conditions and
already has a mature colonial support base.
|
System |
Normal Legion level |
Principal role |
|
FAM-90
/ FAM-90P |
Individual
/ squad |
Standard
Gauss rifle and precision variant |
|
FM-94 |
Squad |
Modern
Gauss automatic weapon |
|
AAT-78 |
Support
/ vehicle |
Sustained
9×44 mm fire and vehicle point defence |
|
PAM9 |
Individual |
9×24
mm caseless service pistol |
|
Quinn-Darlan
Mk 2-A2 |
Squad |
Reusable
plasma fire against hard targets |
|
CILAS
FL-92 |
Specialist
issue |
Precision
laser rifle |
4. Grenades,
missiles and local fire support
4.1 Hand
grenades
Purpose-built hand grenades
remain standard issue despite the FAM-90's integral launcher. A grenade can be
thrown, rolled, dropped or placed without exposing the rifle or requiring room
to aim it. Rifle grenades extend reach and permit precise airburst; they do not
replace the flexibility and simplicity of a munition held in the hand.
|
Designation |
Manufacturer |
Purpose |
|
GDF-92 |
Lacroix
Défense |
Defensive
fragmentation grenade |
|
GO-92 |
Lacroix
Défense |
Offensive
concussion grenade |
|
GMO-94 |
Société
Pyrotechnique de Bourges |
Multispectral
obscurant |
|
GIT-90 |
Société
Pyrotechnique de Bourges |
Incendiary
and equipment destruction |
|
GPP-95 |
Munitions
du Rhône |
Programmable
multipurpose grenade |
The GPP-95 provides
selectable delay, impact and limited airburst functions and accepts different
effect sleeves. It is more expensive than a conventional grenade and has not
displaced the simpler GDF-92, GO-92 and specialist smoke or incendiary types. Legion
units normally carry a mixture rather than expecting one programmable munition
to perform every task.
4.2
Antivehicle weapons
The Guiscard Blindicide-3 is
a disposable smart light antivehicle weapon carried at squad level against
armored personnel, light vehicles, firing positions and dangerous large fauna.
It is compact and simple but short-ranged and vulnerable to countermeasures,
obscuration and poor target identification.
The Blindicide-9 is a proper
guided missile with greater range, a heavier warhead and more sophisticated
guidance. Dismounted teams and vehicle installations are normally controlled at
platoon or company level and issued according to the anticipated threat.
Vehicle-mounted
plasma weapons
Vehicle plasma weapons range
from the Quinn-Darlan Mk 2-V, an adaptation of the infantry PGMP drawing power
and cooling from its carrier, to the heavier CPV-95 turret family. They provide
repeatable direct fire against armor, fortified positions and other hard
targets.
A plasma discharge is
difficult to intercept or decoy, while feedstock occupies less volume than an
equivalent number of missiles. The disadvantages are high electrical demand,
major cooling requirements, direct line of sight and a conspicuous firing signature.
Plasma cannon provide a deep supply of direct-fire engagements; missiles retain
greater reach, independent guidance, top attack and the ability to engage
targets outside the gunner's immediate view.
Box launchers
and vertical launch systems
The simplest vehicle
installation is an exposed box or rail carrying one to four sealed missiles.
The Guiscard LD-9 double launcher fitted above some 8×8 remote weapon stations
normally carries two Blindicide-9 missiles. Such launchers are inexpensive and
easily added to existing vehicles, but have few ready rounds and remain exposed
to fragments, weather and collision damage.
Dedicated missile vehicles
use the Aérospatiale Narval-Guiscard LVM-95 lanceur vertical modulaire. Armored
cells are installed within the hull or a protected mission module. A full cell
holds one large antivehicle, air-defence or surface-strike missile; a multipack
cassette places several smaller missiles in the same space. Vertical launch
provides all-direction coverage and permits a vehicle's ammunition mix to be
selected for the mission.
The LVM-95 occupies internal
volume, adds weight and requires sophisticated fire control and launch-gas
management. It is therefore fitted to specialist missile and air-defence
vehicles rather than ordinary carriers.
4.3 Air
defence and point defence
The Guiscard Martel is a
compact shoulder-fired missile for drones, helicopters, low-flying aircraft and
aerospace vehicles making close approaches. Vehicle-mounted versions can use
light external boxes or multipacked LVM-95 cells. The heavier Aérospatiale
Narval Épervier-6 offers greater range, altitude, seeker discrimination and
countermeasure resistance and normally occupies a full launch cell or
substantial elevating canister.
Counter-UAV aircraft and
interceptor drones extend the defensive perimeter, investigate uncertain
contacts and may attack hostile drone carriers or control relays. They are less
reliable as terminal defence: an interceptor must already be airborne or launch,
identify, coordinate and reach the threat within a very short engagement.
French units therefore employ counter-UAVs as an outer patrol layer rather than
as a substitute for direct-fire point defence.
Vehicle-mounted lasers
provide both soft-kill and hard-kill protection. The CILAS LPR-96 family uses a
compact stabilized director rather than a conventional gun barrel. It can
dazzle or overload optical sensors, disrupt missile seekers and damage drone optics
at lower output; more powerful settings burn through exposed sensors, control
surfaces and lightly built incoming munitions. Its practical magazine is
limited by power and heat rather than ready rounds, but dust, smoke, fog and
precipitation reduce effectiveness and robust targets require sufficient dwell
time.
The GIAT SPP-96 système de
protection plasma is fitted to high-value combat vehicles. A compact, rapidly
traversing emitter receives tracks from the vehicle's warning and fire-control
system, predicts the interception point and fires without requiring the long
barrel of a conventional cannon. It can destroy drones, missiles, guided
artillery, mortar bombs and some submunitions which have penetrated the outer
defences. Plasma fire is difficult to spoof and its charges are compact, but
the complete installation demands considerable power, capacitor capacity,
cooling, protected feed equipment and clear firing arcs.
Neither system creates an
impenetrable bubble. Terrain masking, damaged sensors, obstructed arcs and
simultaneous attacks can overwhelm the director or exhaust ready power. Very
fast kinetic penetrators remain principally a problem for armor and conventional
active protection. Automatic engagement is necessary at these reaction times,
but the crew defines the defensive mode, protected sectors and authorized
target classes; friendly infantry and civilian traffic can restrict both laser
and plasma fire.
The AAT-78 remains an
inexpensive lower layer. A dual-feed mount using OFP-94 ammunition can engage
small drones, guided missiles, grenades and mortar bombs at close range. A
sophisticated defensive vehicle may combine conventional fire against numerous low-end
targets, lasers against sensors and light drones, plasma against robust close
threats and VLS missiles against distant aircraft and weapons.
|
Defensive system |
Best use |
Principal limitation |
|
AAT-78
/ OFP-94 |
Small
drones and inexpensive close threats |
Ammunition
use and limited interception probability |
|
CILAS
LPR-96 laser |
Sensors,
seekers, light drones and precision interception |
Weather,
obscurants, heat and dwell time |
|
GIAT
SPP-96 plasma PD |
Hard
kill of robust close-range threats |
Power,
heat, signature and clear firing arcs |
|
Martel
/ Épervier missile |
Longer-range
air and missile defence |
Limited
ready rounds and countermeasures |
4.4 Smart mortars
The Brandt-TDA MIP-93 Mortier
intelligent portable is a dismountable platoon and company support weapon. It
can be divided between its crew, transported by a robotic hauler or fired from
a temporary vehicle mounting. Automated laying and networked ballistic
computation allow it to receive targets from observers, rifle sights, drones
and vehicles.
MIP-93 ammunition includes
fragmentation, programmable airburst, smoke, multispectral obscurant,
illumination, guided top attack and limited sensor or communications-relay
payloads. Course correction compensates for ordinary errors in range,
atmosphere and firing position but cannot make uncertain target information
reliable.
The Systèmes Balistiques
d'Auvergne MVA-95 Mortier véhiculaire automatique is a larger vehicle system
with an autoloader, protected ammunition and networked fire direction. It can
fire several rounds on different trajectories so they arrive almost simultaneously,
then displace before the first impacts. Sustained fire still demands
considerable ammunition transport, power and maintenance and remains vulnerable
to counterbattery detection.
|
System |
Normal level |
Principal capability |
|
Brandt-TDA
MIP-93 |
Platoon
/ company |
Dismountable
networked indirect fire |
|
SBA
MVA-95 |
Company
/ battalion support |
Automated
vehicle fire and rapid displacement |
4.5 Mines and
tactical area denial
Legion infantry use mines on
a limited tactical basis to protect camps, block approaches, delay pursuit and
channel vehicles into observed fire. Large minefields, remotely delivered mines
and mechanical minelaying remain engineer or higher-command responsibilities.
|
System |
Type |
Normal use |
|
Lacroix
MDD-94 |
Directional
defensive munition |
Command-controlled
defence against personnel and light drones |
|
Guiscard
MAV-91 |
Smart
antivehicle mine |
Attack
on wheels, tracks, lift systems or vehicle undersides |
|
Bourges
BALISE-3 |
Sensor
and warning node |
Detect
and report movement without necessarily attacking |
|
Munitions
du Rhône MPA-95 |
Programmable
area-denial munition |
Restricted
autonomous or command-authorized engagement |
Modern French mines normally
report their positions and incorporate timers, remote safing and
self-neutralization. Smart models classify targets and ignore authorized
identification signals, but damage, jamming, unfamiliar vehicles and native
life can make discrimination unreliable. The Legion therefore prefers observed
or command-controlled minefields whenever circumstances permit.
Engineer warning. Mine
warfare has become more controllable, not harmless. A mine may announce its
position and deactivate on schedule; it may also be damaged, spoofed, buried by
weather or forgotten when the network collapses. Every minefield remains
dangerous until physically accounted for.
5. Armor and
personal protection
5.1
Development of the EPI-92 family
French personal protection
developed from separate ballistic garments, environmental suits and
load-assistance equipment. Experience during the Central Asian War demonstrated
the value of combining these systems and the difficulty of maintaining elaborate
armor under expeditionary conditions.
The EPI-83 family was the
principal integrated French system during the later stages of that war. It
provided good fragmentation and conventional ballistic protection, but rigid
components were heavy and its environmental and electronic systems were poorly
standardized. Field modifications varied considerably between formations.
The EPI-92 programme replaced
that collection with a common modular architecture. Textiles Techniques d'Albi
supplies the SI-92 inertial layer; Saint-Chamond Protection produces the
principal plates and powered frames; SAGEM Défense Personnel integrates the
CI-94 helmet, sensors and communications. Components are manufactured by
additional licensed firms under the same government specification.
|
Designation |
Common name |
Purpose |
|
EPI-92/CL |
Patrol
plate |
SI-92,
helmet and limited vital-area plates |
|
EPI-92/CCM |
Half
plate |
Standard
Legion medium combat configuration |
|
EPI-92/CCL |
Full
plate |
Sealed
heavy combat and environmental armor |
|
EPI-92/CAP |
Breacher
plate |
Powered
assault, boarding and fortified entry |
|
CI-94 |
Integrated
helmet |
Sensors,
communications, protection and environment |
5.2 Colonial
and auxiliary protection
The complete EPI-92 family is
not universally issued. Colonial militias, locally raised troops and
lower-priority security forces frequently operate with an inertial layer and
helmet but few hard plates. Some use older French systems, locally produced carriers
or imported equipment compatible with only part of the French standard.
An inertial layer and modern
helmet provide substantial protection against common colonial threats:
conventional small arms, fragments, industrial accidents, dangerous debris and
some forms of native life. They are comparatively easy to store and maintain.
Hard plates are more expensive, while powered assistance introduces continuing
demands for batteries, actuators, diagnostics and trained repair personnel.
Powered load assistance is
therefore uncommon in poorer colonial formations and often held in shared pools
rather than issued to every soldier. Wealthy colonies and units protecting
strategic installations may be considerably better equipped; colonial appearance
alone is not a reliable indication of capability.
Recent French Army
procurement trends in the opposite direction. High-readiness infantry receive
greater plate coverage, stronger powered frames and more robotic ammunition and
sensor carriers. This increases tactical endurance and carrying capacity while
lengthening the logistical tail of power generation, charging, spare actuators,
software support and technical recovery.
5.3 Inertial
layer and half plate
The SI-92 remains flexible
during movement but becomes rigid when struck by a fast object, spreading
impact across a wider area. It is particularly effective against conventional
small arms, fragments, ricochets and debris. Gauss projectiles concentrate too
much energy into too small an impact; lasers and plasma attack primarily
through heat rather than mechanical shock.
CCM half plate adds composite
chest, back and side plates, an armored collar, shoulder and upper-arm
protection, groin protection and the CI-94 helmet. Forearms, much of the thighs
and lower legs retain the flexible layer. Demi-armure describes the configuration's
visual and practical character rather than a mathematical coverage percentage.
The Legion favors half plate
because it provides substantial protection while preserving mobility and
remaining supportable during prolonged colonial operations. Powered load
assistance is common but essential loads are distributed so that the loss of a frame
or robotic hauler does not immediately immobilize the unit.
5.4 Full and
breacher plate
CCL full plate is a complete
combat and environmental system rather than half plate with additional panels.
It provides full-body armor, sealing, thermal control, communications,
multispectral imaging and limited life support. Mission packages adapt it to
vacuum, toxic or corrosive atmospheres and extreme temperature or pressure.
CAP breacher plate is a
heavily reinforced powered assault system for boarding, fortified positions and
urban entry. Protection, breaching tools and heavy weapons make powered
assistance integral. Power or actuator failure can leave the wearer severely encumbered
or immobilized. Breacher plate is personal equipment only in the narrow sense
that one person wears it; its transport, power and recovery requirements
approach those of a small vehicle.
5.5
Protection against common weapons
Armor changes the probability
and consequences of a hit rather than making the wearer invulnerable. Sensors,
seals, joints and power connections are generally more vulnerable than the
principal plates, while repeated hits can damage even material which defeats
the first projectile.
|
Threat |
SI-92 alone |
CCM half plate |
Full or breacher plate |
|
Conventional
rifle |
Good
against many hits |
Strong
where plates cover |
Strong;
repeated fire remains dangerous |
|
Fragments
and debris |
Very
effective |
Excellent |
Excellent |
|
9×44
mm explosive fire |
Reduces
fragments; poor against direct hits |
Plate
may contain isolated hits |
Good
chance against isolated hits |
|
Gauss
rifle |
Frequently
defeated |
Plate
may deflect marginal hits |
Best
personal protection; no immunity |
|
Laser
rifle |
Ablative
layers delay damage |
Requires
dwell or repeated hits |
Strong
initially; heat accumulates |
|
Plasma
gun |
Negligible
against direct hit |
Direct
hit normally catastrophic |
Reduces
secondary effects; direct hit remains severe |
5.6 Powered
infantry, loaders and combat walkers
Powered armor remains
personal equipment: the wearer's limbs occupy or directly control the suit's
limbs. A powered loader is a vehicle operated from a cab or control frame, even
when its lifting arms reproduce human movements. A combat walker is a piloted
vehicle whose operator sits within an armored torso or capsule while powered
limbs provide movement at greater scale.
French doctrine continues to
define infantry by what it can do after dismounting and dispersing. Infantry
can enter ordinary buildings, climb through confined terrain, search and occupy
ground and continue after abandoning damaged machinery. A powered system begins
to resemble a walker when its operator cannot move without functioning
actuators, cannot use ordinary human spaces or requires dedicated vehicle
transport and recovery.
The mechanization
question. Modern infantry may wear powered armor, carry
vehicle-grade sensors and draw ammunition from robotic haulers. The decisive
question is not how much machinery accompanies the soldier, but how much useful
capability survives when power, communications and technical support fail.
BH-21 combat
walker
The BH-21 was France's
principal heavy combat walker during the Franco-German and Flemish wars. It
combines powerful armament, substantial frontal armor and considerable physical
strength, but was already showing its age in 2292. German Hannover designs possessed
better stabilization, faster control response, more efficient actuators and
superior integration with battlefield sensors.
The BH-21 remained dangerous
but was consistently outmaneuvered and detected earlier than its German
opponents. Upgrades have improved sensors, fire control and protection without
changing the basic structure. Germany has continued development, while several
other powers now field or are preparing modern walkers. The BH-21 remains
useful in assault, engineering support and exceptional terrain, but no longer
represents the leading edge of walker design.
Walker armor is necessarily
uneven. The central crew capsule may approach the protection of a light armored
vehicle, while joints, actuators, sensors and limb structures remain exposed. A
walker may survive damage that would kill powered infantry yet lose mobility or
weapon control without its crew compartment being penetrated.
Bipedal
terrain carriers
Non-humanoid two-legged
carriers, often called striders, occupy a narrower category. A low crew pod or
robotic control body is mounted between articulated legs without humanoid arms.
The arrangement is inefficient on roads and open ground but can cross rubble,
terraces, trenches, dense vegetation and industrial ruins which defeat ordinary
wheeled vehicles.
Early striders retained crews because autonomous navigation through broken terrain remained unreliable in combat. Modern examples are increasingly robotic or optionally crewed. They serve as reconnaissance, engineer and specialist weapons platforms, not substitutes for APCs, tanks or humanoid walkers.