List of French paratrooper units
The history of French airborne units began in the Interwar period when the French Armed Forces formed specialized paratroopers units. First formed in the French Air Force, they were rapidly integrated into the French Army, French Navy, National Gendarmerie and from the British Armed Forces. Some were later included in the postwar French Armed Forces.
French Army
Parachute and airborne divisions
- Airborne Division (France)|24th Airborne Division].
- 25th Airborne Division.
- 25th Parachute Division.
- 10th Parachute Division.
- 11th Light Intervention Division.
- 11th Division.
- 11th Parachute Division.
- 11th Parachute Brigade.
Parachute Brigades and Groups
- The 11th Parachute Brigade of the French Army includes:
- *Commando Parachute Group
- ** 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, .
- ** 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment, .
- ** 1st Train Parachute Regiment.
- ** 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, .
- ** 3rd [Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment], .
- ** 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, .
- ** 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment, .
- ** 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment, .
- Airborne Groupment, GAP.
Parachute Demi-Brigades
- SAS Parachute Demi-Brigade.
- Colonial Parachute Commando Demi-Brigade.
- 1st Colonial Parachute Commando Demi-Brigade .
- 2nd Colonial Parachute Commando Demi-Brigade.
- Parachute Marching Demi-Brigade .
- 11th Parachute Choc Demi-Brigade .
Parachute centres of formation and schools
- École des troupes aéroportées), Base School of Airborne Troops.
- School of [Airborne Troops (France)|School of Airborne Troops].
- School Brigade of Colonial Paratroopers.
- National Parachute Instruction Centre Orléans.
Foreign Legion
Legion parachute companies, battalions and regiments
- Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment.
- Foreign Air Supply Company.
- 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company.
- 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion.
- 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment .
- 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion.
- 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment.
- 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion.
- 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, 2e R.E.P,
Parachute (Airborne) Commandos of the Foreign Legion
Parachute Commandos of the 11th Parachute Brigade include:- 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
- * GCP Teams, these Airborne Commandos are elite operational pathfinder units specializing in Reconnaissance and Direct Action.
- 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment
- * PCG Teams, former DINOPS Teams of Nautical Subaquatic Intervention Operational Detachment specialized in Parachute, Underwater Demolition and Diving.
- 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment
- * PCG Teams, former DINOPS Teams of Nautical Subaquatic Intervention Operational Detachment specialized in Parachute, Underwater Demolition and Diving.
- * Mountain Commando Groups
Troupes de marine
Marine Infantry Parachute Regiments
- 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment.
- 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment.
- 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment,.
- .
- 6th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment.
- ).
- 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment,.
Battalions and Colonial Parachute Groups
- 1st Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion.
- 2nd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion.
- 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion.
- 4th Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion.
- 5th Colonial Parachute Infantry Battalion.
- 5th Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion.
- 6th Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion .
- 7th Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion.
- 8th Colonial Parachute Battalion .
- 10th Colonial Parachute Battalion.
- Colonial Group Parachute Commando of Madagascar.
- Colonial Group of Parachute Commandos of Afrique équatoriale française AEF.
- Marine Infantry Parachute Company.
Parachute Artillery
- 5th Airborne Artillery Campaign Regiment.
- 6th Light Parachute Artillery Regiment.
- 20th Light Parachute Artillery Regiment.
- 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment,.
Parachute Cavalry
Image:ERC-90 Sagaie 008 FR.JPG|thumb|1st Parachute Hussar Regiment of the 11th Parachute Brigade, on Bastille Day, Paris.Parachute Engineer
- 17th Parachute Engineer Battalion.
- 61st and 71st Parachute Engineer Battalions of the Far East .
- 60th, 61st and 75th Parachute Engineer Companies.
- 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment,.
Parachute Infantry
Patrol Chasseurs
- .
- ).
Parachute Infantry
- .
- .
Parachute Chasseurs
- 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment / 1st Air Infantry Battalion,.
- 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment/4th Air Infantry Battalion .
- 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment /3rd Air Infantry Battalion .
- 4th Parachute Chasseur Regiment,.
- 5th Parachute Chasseur Regiment,.
- 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment,.
- .
- .
Shock Paratroopers
- 1st Shock Battalion .
- 2nd Shock Battalion/ Bataillon Janson-de-Sailly or Bataillon Gayardon .
- 3rd Shock Battalion / Commando Group of France Commandos de France .
- 4th Shock Battalion / .
- 5th Shock Battalion / .
- 6th Shock Battalion / .
- 1st Parachute Shock Battalion .
- 2nd Parachute Shock Battalion .
- 1st Shock Parachute Infantry Regiment 1er régiment d'infanterie de choc aéroporté.
- 11th Shock Parachute Regiment 11e régiment parachutiste de choc.
- 12th Shock Parachute Battalion .
- Mixed Airborne Commando Groupment .
French Train Parachute Regiments
Parachute Companies and Regiments
- Air Support Companies .
- Air Delivery Regiment.
- 1st Train Parachute Regiment .
Airborne Bases
- Northern Airborne Base .
- Southern Airborne Base .
- North African Airborne Base .
- Airborne Operational Mobile Base.
Parachute Command and Support
- 14th Parachute Logistic and Support Regiment - former 14th Parachute Command and Support Regiment.
- 7th Parachute Command and Support Regiment .
Matériel
- 3rd Matériel Regiment .
Vietnamese, Laotien and Cambodian Parachute Units
- 1st Vietnamese Parachute Battalion .
- 3rd Vietnamese Parachute Battalion .
- 5th Vietnamese Parachute Battalion .
- 6th Vietnamese Parachute Battalion.
- 7th Vietnamese Parachute Battalion.
- 1st Khmer Parachute Battalion.
- 1st Laotian Parachute Battalion.
Algerian Parachute Units
- 19th Algerian Parachute Battalion
- 14th Algerian Parachute Tirailleur Brigade
French Air and Space Force
Past and present Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air units have included:- 601st Airborne Infantry Group.
- 602nd Airborne Infantry Group.
- Air Marching Infantry Company, 1e RCP.
- 1st Air Infantry Company.
- 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment.
- Air Force Security and Intervention Forces Brigade
- * Air Parachute Commando n° 10, C.P.A. 10, part of Special Operations Command (France).
- * Air Parachute Commando n° 20, C.P.A. 20
- * Air Parachute Commando n° 30, C.P.A. 30
- * Protection Squadrons.
French Navy
Naval Fusiliers and Commandos include the following Forces Fusiliers Marins and Commandos Marine FORFUSCO- Aeronautical Naval Parachute Commando.
- Commando Ponchardier .
- Commando Hubert .
- Fusiliers Marins Commandos Group.
- Commando François.
- Commando de Penfentenyo .
- Commando Jaubert .
- Commando de Montfort .
- Commando Trépel .
- Naval Fusiliers Instruction Center. École des fusiliers marins
- Naval Fusiliers and Commando Base.
- Commando Kieffer .
National Gendarmerie
Paratroopers of the National Gendarmerie include:- National Gendarmerie Parachute Intervention Squadron, part of the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, the GIGN.
Medics
Combat medics in the French Armed Forces are part of the French Defence Health Service. Each French regiment, battalion, company and unit has its own specialized combat medics, with ranks designating various unit level sizes.For French Regiments engaged in combat, the leading Medical leadership would be a colonel or Lieutenant-colonel and can also be designated as Parachute Medical-Colonel of the Army.
For Foreign Legion Regiments, Medics can be French and Legionnaires, while the leading Medical leadership would be a Colonel or Lieutenant-colonel and can also be designated as Foreign Parachute Medical-Colonel.