2nd Armoured Brigade (France)

The 2nd Armoured Brigade (French: 2^e Brigade Blindée, 2^e BB) is an armoured brigade of the French Army. It is heir to the honours and traditions of the 2nd Armoured Division famously commanded by Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque.

2nd Armoured Brigade
2e Brigade Blindée
Badge of the 2nd BB
Active	c. 1970, 1999–present
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Armour
Size	6200 personnel
Part of	3rd Division
Garrison/HQ	Strasbourg
Motto(s)	Ne me dites pas que c'est impossible ! ("Do not tell me it is impossible!")
Commanders
Current commander	General de brigade Vincent Giraud (July 2020 onwards)
Notable commanders	Général Leclerc

In 1970 the 2nd Armoured Brigade at Saint-Germain-en-Laye was part of the 8th Armoured Division, headquartered at Compiègne, alongside two mechanised brigades.^[1] In 1977 the 2nd Armoured Brigade appears to have been disbanded, and the 2nd Armoured Division reformed.

The reorganisation of the French Army in 1999 transformed and downsized the 2nd Armoured Division to the 2nd Armoured Brigade.

From 1999 to 2010 the brigade headquarters was located in the quartier Bellecombe in Orléans.

From July 2010 the brigade headquarters was located in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, neighbouring Strasbourg, at the quartier Leclerc (near the 2e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions and the 291st Jäger Bataillon). The general commanding the brigade is at the same time the Military Governor of Strasbourg.^[2] He loges in the fr:Palais du Gouverneur militaire de Strasbourg situated in the place Broglie in Strasbourg. Since 2023, the headquarters is also located in Strasbourg.

Structure 2016

The brigade consists of seven regiments.^[3]

• 2^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (2^e CCT) – Command and Signals Company in Illkirch-Graffenstaden with Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé (VAB)
• 12^e Régiment de Cuirassiers (12^e RC) – Armoured Regiment in Olivet with 60 AMX-56 Leclerc main battle tanks
• 501e Régiment de chars de combat (501^e RCC) – Armoured Regiment in Mourmelon-le-Grand with 60 Leclerc
• Régiment de Marche du Tchad (RMT) – Marine Infantry Regiment in Meyenheim with VBCI
• 16^e Bataillon de Chasseurs (16^e BC) – Infantry Battalion in Bitche with VBCI
• 92^e Régiment d'Infanterie (92^e RI) – Infantry Regiment in Clermont-Ferrand with VBCI
• 40^e Régiment d'Artillerie (40^e RA) Self-propelled Howitzer Regiment in Suippes with 32 GCT 155mm and 12 120mm mortars
• 13^e Régiment du Génie (13^e RG) – Engineer Regiment in Valdahon

Other units include:

• Batterie de renseignement brigade de Suippes
• "Centre de formation initial des militaires du rang, le Bataillon de renfort de la 2e Brigade blindée" (CFIM, BR 2BB), dépositaire des traditions of the 12th Régiment of the Chasseurs d'Afrique.

Notes

1. "French Army 1970–96". Orbat.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
2. "Mesures diverses d'ordre individuel du mercredi 14 mai 2014" [Various individual measures from Wednesday May 14, 2014]. defense.gouv.fr (Press release) (in French). Ministère de la défense. 14 May 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
3. "2^e brigade blindée". French government. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.

References

• www.defense.gouv.fr

External links

• Official site (in French) – 2^e BB