Froggy

NCO (sergent) start as tank or recce commander after a 4 month course (BSAT). the eighth year they pass the BSTAT (platoon leader course) and can be platoon sergent, until they reach the rank of adjudant, were they can have a platoon. Officers start as platoon leader after a 1 year course. After 3 years they are 2IC of a squadron, and 2 years later CO of a squadron I was a NCO platoon leader. I started in 1994 as AMX30 tank commander. We were only 4 to have the BSTAT Leclerc in 2002. I had my platoon from 2006 to 2009. It's not automatic, only the bests reach the level of platoon leader as NCO. there is only one NCO for 3 officers (4 platoons per squadron)

French army is unique with 4 tanks + 4 VBL (recce) per platoon. Platoon leader is either a Lieutenant or an adjudant (senior NCO with more than 12 years). Platoon Sergent is a Sergent-chef BSTAT (he has the same tactical formation than the platoon Leader, but not experienced enough to have a full platoon in charge at the administration level) . platoon can be split depending of the mission or effect: 4T - 4 VBL 2T - 2T - 2VBL -2VBL 3T + 3VBL - 1T+1VBL 4x (1T+ 1VBL) ...

You have that on Leclerc since 1990.

it depend of the action, and if it's an Inf tactical group or a Cav tactical group. In open area it 's generaly the second, and an inf section is deployed with a tank squadron, while in wooden or urban area it would be a tank platoon detached with an inf company

TUrbomachine is part of the engine. You have to start it first, as it feed the diesel engine with compresssed air. at 53" you can see the diesel starting with the little smoke out the exaust It can act as an APU giving 9kw on is own (usefull to run the turret's systemes without the engine running)

I was part of the mission in december/ january this year. We have been relieved the day of the Louvres attack. I have some info about the attacker, but it's still confidential (my girlfriend is gendarme near Marseille )

A man killed 2 woman yelling Allah Hakbar on the front of Marseille railway station yesterday Sunday 1 october. He has been killed by a military patrol. He was known by Police, but not for islamic radicalisation. He was in illegal situation.

I don't call BTR and BMP small arms...

All our battle positions were at 6h.

Yesterday, a terrorist tried to kill members of Gendarmerie Mobile by ramming their van with his car on Champs Élysées in Paris. The car catched fire but the gaz cylinder in it did not explosed. Gendarmes get the heavily wounded guy out of his car and stopped fire. Terrorist died of his wounds, and weapons were find in the car.

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/UMh2dtW https://m.imgur.com/r/ImagesOfThe1940s/MZcH8rk Same tank, so they are clearly testing panzerfaust on an already destroyed tank (hits on the right part of the turret)

Everybody used training rounds. TPCSDS for leo, T-64 and M1 TPMP for Leclerc, which is de facto penalized

We, french, separate scout and recon. Scouts are light, they have VBL or VB2L. Team generaly operates well in front of the fighting units. They are not intented to fight but for their live. Recons are heavier. They will be equiped with Jaguar EBRC (engin blindé de reconnaissance et de contact, armored vehicule for recon and fight), armed with CTA 40 gun and MMP missiles and the successor of VBL. They fight for intel, screen... they were equiped with AMX10RCR and VBL

French scoot vehicle. As said,the VBL was not designed to fight but to offer infantry weapons protection (7,62mm) at best. It main weapon is it's radio. 3,5 tonnes.

French?This is some vehicles from the new french 5th Cuirassiers Regiment created last year in UAE. It purpose is to train french units to desert combat.