The Parachute Commandos Regiments (RPC) are parachute regiments of the 17th Parachute Division of

Biskra Biskra ( ar, بسكرة ; ; Latin Vescera) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (400 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (115&nbs ...

of the

land forces Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various islan ...

of the

Algerian People's National Army french: Armée nationale populaire , image = ANP.png , alt = , caption = People's National Army emblem , image2 = , alt2 = , caption2 = , motto = ...

. These regiments are so-called "special troops" regiments by virtue of their missions and status.

History

Previously the parachutists of the Algerian Army were not in the form of regiments but of groups, the first parachutist regiments therefore made their appearance in the 1980s, the first regiments were the 4th, 12th and 18th RPC. The 1st RPC and the 5th RPC were created in 1995. These regiments were then integrated into the Centre de Conduite et de Coordination des Actions de Lutte Anti-Subversive (CLAS) also in 1995. The 6th RPC is the last regiment to have been created as it was created in 2009. The parachute commandos thus belong to the 17th Parachute Division, which is a predominantly infantry division but with more sensitive missions than the infantry regiments. The 17th Parachute Division was created in 1991 by decree, and is specialised in airborne combat and air assault, its main mission being emergency projection. Insigne para dz 1

Organization

The commando parachute regiments are composed of 6 parachute regiments and 3 auxiliary units : * Staff of the 17th Parachute Division (17th PD) in Biskra * 1st Commandos Parachute Regiment of

Tébessa Tébessa or Tebessa ( ar, تبسة ''Tibissa'', ''Tbessa'' or ''Tibesti''), the classical Theveste, is the capital city of Tébessa Province region of northeastern Algeria. It hosts several historical landmarks, the most important one being the w ...

(1st RPC) * 4th Commandos Parachute Regiment of

Laghouat Laghouat ( ar, الأغواط; en, Laghwat) is the capital of the Laghouat Province, Algeria, south of the Algerian capital Algiers. Located in the Amour Range of the Saharan Atlas, the town is an oasis on the north edge of the Sahara D ...

(4th RPC) * 5th Commandos Parachute Regiment of Ain Arnat (5th RPC) * 6th Commando Parachute Regiment of

Jijel Jijel ( ar, جيجل), the classical Igilgili, is the capital of Jijel Province in north-eastern Algeria. It is flanked by the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Corniche Jijelienne and had a population of 131,513 in 2008. Jijel is the administra ...

(6th RPC) * 12th Commando Parachute Regiment of

(12th RPC) * 18th Commandos Parachute Regiment of

Hassi-Messaoud Hassi Messaoud ( ar, حاسي مسعود) is a town in Ouargla Province, eastern Algeria, located southeast of Ouargla. As of 2008 it had a population of 45,147 people, up from 40,360 in 1998, and an annual population growth rate of 1.1%, the lowe ...

(18th RPC) * 1 Parachute Artillery Regiment * 1 Parachute Engineer Battalion * 1 Parachute Anti-Tank Battalion The regiments have a strength of about 700 men, that is to say between 9000 and 10000 paratroopers for the 17th DP. Airborne intervention is the main mode of action of parachutists, they are also capable of engaging under armoured protection with

BTR-80 The BTR-80 (russian: бронетранспортёр, bronyetransportyor, literally "armoured transporter") is an 8×8 wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the USSR. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous ...

s or Fuchs 2s and tactical reconnaissance vehicles, in a very short time and with weapons and equipment... that can be dropped or heliborne into a combat zone. Each regiment has : * 1 General staff * 3 Fighting companies * 1 Logistics company * 1 Anti-tank company * 1 Support company * 1 Transmission company * 1 Air Defence Company The 12th RPC is a specialized regiment, with two special operations companies (41st and 45th companies) and specialized sections similar to the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

Commando Parachute Group The Commando Parachute Group (french: Groupement des Commandos Parachutistes, GCP) is a unit of elite pathfinders within the French Army's 11th Parachute Brigade (France), 11th Parachute Brigade (11e BP). These pathfinders are paratroopers drawn ...

(GCP) or the U.S.

75th Ranger Regiment The 75th Ranger Regiment, also known as Army Rangers, is the U.S. Army's premier light infantry unit and special operations force within the United States Army Special Operations Command. The regiment is headquartered at Fort Benning, Georgi ...

. It is the elite parachute regiment for conventional forces (excluding special forces).

Missions

Parachute commandos act primarily in the air-land environment, the parachutists provide the material and human resources to carry out the missions, and the commandos therefore work directly with the other units. Parachute commandos have the following mission : * Strategic and special reconnaissance * Commando action * Counter-terrorism * Special Operations Air Mobile Support and Support (in collaboration with Special Forces) * VIP close protection * The recovery and protection of strategic objectives In addition, the RPC is very much present in border security missions, particularly on the Libyan border. By virtue of their missions, the RPC have the status of "special troops"; they are the equivalent of the

Training and coaching

Parachute cadets are trained at the Special Troops Training Centre (CFTS) (for non-commissioned men) which is part of the Special Troops Superior School (ESTS) (which trains non-commissioned officers and officers) in

, where they will be trained in : * Weapons handling: pistol shooting, automatic rifle... * Fighting in urban, desert, forest areas... * Survival in hostile environments * Sabotage and demolitions * Skydiving * Fighting with bare hands and knives (with handguns or throwing) * Close combat,

kuk sool won Kuk Sool Won () is a type of Korean martial arts. It was founded in 1958 by Suh In-Hyuk (서인혁), who also carries the formal titles of, ''Kuk Sa Nim'' (i.e. "national martial arts teacher") and ''Grandmaster''. This Korean martial art is ...

is taught to future parachutists. * Special operations techniques (reconnaissance operations, parachuting, patrolling inside enemy lines, intelligence gathering...) At The end of the course, the student is subject to a diploma examination. In addition, some will go for advanced training at the commandos training centre (EFCIP) in

Boghar Boghar is a town and commune in Médéa Province, Algeria. History During the Roman Empire the town was the site of a Roman town called Voncaria. At the 411 Carthage conference, between Catholic and Donatist bishops, the town was represented b ...

. Para-commando units are basically organized on the model of the Russian Spetsnaz, and many officers and non-commissioned officers have undergone additional and specialized training in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The level of training there is very advanced in all areas of individual and collective combat (close-combat, shooting, sabotage, camouflage, reconnaissance, parachuting, interrogation of prisoners, etc.

Equipment and armament

Armament

Handguns

* Glock, Glock 17 & 18 *

Caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted e ...

Assault rifle

AKMS The AKM () is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It is the most ubiquitous rifle of the Kalashnikov rifles. It was developed as a replacement to the AK-47 introduced a decade prior. Introduced ...

AKM The AKM () is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It is the most ubiquitous rifle of the Kalashnikov rifles. It was developed as a replacement to the AK-47 introduced a decade prior. Introduc ...

AK-103 The AK-103 is a Russian assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov. History The AK-103 was officially offered for export in March 1993 Design details It is an AK-100 derivative of the AK-74M that is chambered for th ...

Machine gun

RPD RPD may refer to: People * Robert Prentiss Daniel, American psychologist * Rahul Peter Das, German professor * Rajendra Prasad Das, Indian archaeologist * Royal Page Davidson, American scholar * Richard Paul Davies, English priest * Richard Pe ...

RPK The RPK (russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова/РПК, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, link=no, English: "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"), sometimes retroactively termed the RPK-47, is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine ...

* PKM

Precision rifle

* Zatsava M93 Black Arrow *

SVD ''Svenska Dagbladet'' (, "The Swedish Daily News"), abbreviated SvD, is a daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. History and profile The first issue of ''Svenska Dagbladet'' appeared on 18 December 1884. During the beginning of the ...

* HK-G3 * M40A3

Shotgun

* SR 202P

Other

RPG-7 The RPG-7 (russian: link=no, РПГ-7, Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт, Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomyot) is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket-propelled grenade launcher. ...

RPG-29 The RPG-29 "Vampir" (Russian for "vampire") is a Soviet reusable rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher. Adopted by the Soviet Army in 1989, it was the last RPG to be adopted by the Soviet military before the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. T ...

* METIS-M1 *

KORNET-E The 9M133 Kornet (russian: Корнет; "Cornet", NATO reporting name AT-14 Spriggan, export designation Kornet-E) is a Russian man-portable anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) intended for use against main battle tanks. It was first introduced ...

* SA-18 *

QW-2 The QW-series () are man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) developed by the People's Republic of China. QW-1 The QW-1 is the initial version. It is likely a copy or derivative of the Soviet 9K38 Igla-1 MANPAD.''Chinese Tactics'' (2021): ...

AGS-17 The AGS-17 Plamya (Russian: Пламя; ''Flame'') is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher in service worldwide. Description The AGS-17 is a heavy infantry support weapon designed to operate from a tripod or mounted on an installation or ...

AGS-30 The AGS-30 ''Atlant'' is a Russian automatic grenade launcher currently in production in Russia and in service with the Russian armed forces. Description Designed on the basis of AGS-17, the AGS-30 provides better mobility, longer range and be ...

Personal equipment

Spectra helmet The SPECTRA helmet or CGF Gallet Combat Helmet is the PASGT-style ballistic helmet in use with the French military, and the armies of several other countries. Built by CGF Gallet (producer of the F1 helmet for firemen), it weighs , is available ...

, Fast-ops core * Special troops lattice (

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, desert woodland) * Tactical vest *

Bullet-proof vest A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or a bullet-resistant vest, is an item of body armor that helps absorb the impact and reduce or stop penetration to the torso from firearm-fired projectiles and fragmentation from explosions. ...

* Plate carrier * Gloves * Knee and elbow pads * Thigh or Belt Holster * Rangers * Protective goggles * Camelback * Fighting bag

Vehicles

Mercedes-Benz G Class The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, sometimes colloquially called the G-Wagen (as an abbreviation of Geländewagen) is a four-wheel drive automobile manufactured by Magna Steyr (formerly Steyr-Daimler-Puch) in Austria and sold by Mercedes-Benz. Originall ...

in 4X4 and pick-up * Toyota Station in 4X4 or Pick-up *

Toyota Land Cruiser The (also sometimes spelled as LandCruiser) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. , the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than ...

in 4X4 or Pick-up *

Mercedes-Benz Zetros The Mercedes-Benz Zetros is an off-road truck for extreme operations. It was first presented at the 2008 Eurosatory defence industry trade show in Paris. The Zetros is manufactured at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth, Germany. The truck is desig ...

Ford F150 The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford since the 1948 model year. Slotted above the Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range, the F-Series is marketed as a range of full-sized pickup trucks. ...

* Mercedes-Benz Unimog * SNVI M 120 * SNVI M 230 * SNVI M 260

Special vehicle

Humvee The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of light, four-wheel drive, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the ori ...

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

F-150 with ''Mobile Adjustable Ramp System'' (MARS) * BTR 80 * Otokar Akrep * Fuchs 2

References

{{Reflist Military units and formations of Algeria Special forces of Algeria