🧵Anti-Tank Warfare in the French Army (1979-1989)

Today I will be discussing the the French Anti-Tank doctrine during the late Cold War. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, France realized that its conventional armored forces, which were mostly based on AMX-30 MBTs, would not be able to compete with the newest Warsaw Pact tanks. In addition to identifying a technological gap, it also involved revising France's tactical doctrine for a conventional land conflict in Europe.

🧵4th Aeromobile Division, 1985-1989

Here is my first thread, on the 4th Aeromobile Division of the French army which existed in divisional form from 1985 to 1999, this thread will primarily focus on its creation during the Cold War, and its intended role in combat. Originally, the Army’s Light Aviation was focused on reconnaissance to support artillery operations and counterinsurgency actions. With the 'Division 67' template in the 1960s, the French army shifted its focus to fighting a conventional war in Europe, helicopters began to be attached to Army Corps and Divisional groups, called GALCA and GALDIV respectively.