The Rapid Action Force (french: Force d'action rapide (FAR)) was an army corps of the

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

, created on 1 July 1984 during the reorganization of the later within the law n°83-606 of 8 July 1983 bearing approbation of the military programming for the years 1984 to 1988; the force would have been in means to deploy in Central-Europe and exterior theatres of operations in case of crisis undergone in intermediary conflicts. The force was dissolved in 1999. During the 1980s, this army corps was the 3rd pillar of the

with the

1st Army First Army may refer to: China * New 1st Army, Republic of China * First Field Army, a Communist Party of China unit in the Chinese Civil War * 1st Group Army, People's Republic of China Germany * 1st Army (German Empire), a World War I field Arm ...

and the operational defense of the territory (french: défense opérationnelle du territoire). The FAR comprised 47,000 men, 240 combat and utility helicopters, 216 armored vehicles (72 AMX 10 RC, 72 ERC-90 and 72 Panhard AML), 200

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...

tubes, 5000 man-portable anti-tank systems and anti-tank missiles in 1990.

Principal formations

* 4th Airmobile Division * 6th Light Armoured Division * 9th Marine Infantry Division * 11th Parachute Division * 27th Alpine Division * FAR Logistics Brigade * 19th Artillery Brigade * 28th Transmission regiment

Commandants

* 1984-1985 : général de corps d'armée Gilbert Forray * 1986-1988 : général de corps d'armée

Paul Lardry Paul Lardry (1928–2012) was a général d'armée of the French Army who served almost an entire career and Foreign Legion Command, Commandant of the Foreign Legion Command, Foreign Legion. Military career After completing a course at a privat ...

* 1988-xxxx : général de corps d'armée Henry Préaud * 1989-1990 : général de brigade Jacques Vidal * 1990-xxxx : général de corps d'armée Michel Roquejeoffre * 1993-1994 : général de corps d’armée Bertrand Guillaume de Sauville de Lapresle * 1994-1996 : général de corps d'armée Philippe Morillon * 1996-1999 : général de corps d'armée Jacques Bâton

References

Bibliography

* Olivier Latremoliere, ''La force d'action rapide'', Midev, 1993. {{ISBN, 290993800X * Général Henri Préaud, « La force d'action rapide », in ''Les Cahiers de Mars'' n° 120, 1989 Army units and formations of France Military units and formations established in 1984 Military units and formations disestablished in 1999

Principal formations

Commandants

See also

References

Bibliography