Modern French Foreign Legion

All,

If this topic looks familiar, it should.  You're right, I already have some Modern, 10mm French Foreign Legion, and they proved quite capable (and popular!) in the former French colonial possession of Perplakistan.  But those FFL were multi-based (i.e., multiple figures on a base) for my "Insurgent Commander" rules (skirmish level, based on the popular Blitzkrieg Commander concept for command and control).  Lately I've been yearning for some Modern FFL action with Ivan's "No End In Sight" rules, for which you should use individually based troops.  And seeing as how I like campaigns, I figured I should have some in 'green' uniforms and some in desert uniforms, so I put in an order with Minifigs UK.  Here are the results of that order.

This is not the whole order (I also ordered an LAV-25 and some WarPac heavy weapons, both to finish off some other forces), just all the French stuff.  Two packs of Modern French Infantry, two packs of Modern French Heavy Weapons, and three AMX-10P IFVs (I didn't use the 120mm mortars from the Hvy Weapons, nor all the SAMs, as I received a total of 8 of them).

This gives me two identical forces consisting of:
Headquarters Section
-1 Commanding Officer (for this I actually used a British officer figure in beret from the Pendraken Argentine range, which match nicely with Minifigs's troops)
-1 Executive Officer
-1 Medic
-1 Radioman

Weapons Section
-1 SAM operator
-1 81mm mortar with two man crew

Infantry Units
-Six five-man infantry teams
-Two have ATGMs
-One has a Light AT weapon (looks to me like an AT-4, I'll use it as a SMAW/Charlie G-type weapon)
-Three have SAWs (what we designate the M-249, I believe they call it a Minimi)

Here's some photos:

First, the AMX-10s.  I was so close to getting the wheeled versions with the big gun (105mm, I think?) as they look super cool, but I figured these were more useful overall, as the point was to have personnel carriers, not 'light tanks' (I already three Panhards with 90mm guns, pictured below).

I painted them in this scheme, which has no connection to real life, I just wanted something 'universal' to use in both temperate and desert climes.  Yes, I'm too cheap to buy both.  It'll be okay ;)

The green platoon.  The 6 rifle teams on the left, weapons and HQ at right.

Let's check some poses.  Here's a radioman (I have a lot of them, so I made most of them team leaders) and the AT-4 guy.

Officer with binos and a SAW gunner.

The ATGM and assistant.  I don't know what kind of ATGM it is, it looks to me like a Javelin, but I don't know if the French use the Javelin.

The desert force, identical to the green force.

The CO and XO, CO with trademark green FFL beret.

The SAM.  Did I mention I received eight of these?  If anyone needs some 10mm SAMs, just let me know...

Two riflemen with FAMAS.  The pic is kinda blurry, but if you blow it up you can see they both have mounts for NVGs on their helmets.  Some of the other guys have goggles.

Two more riflemen.

Okay, some old stuff, but stuff you should expect to see in my upcoming campaign.  Three Pendraken Panhards.

Three Pendraken Land Rovers, one of which I placed a spare Minifigs Mk-19 gunner.  Ugh!  That's a product of the flash, the blue is not that bright in real life.

Now here's where we get weird, potentially.  I'm certainly no purist, so, if necessary, or I just feel like it. the FFL will be using some US equipment.  We'll call these AMX-25s ;)  I have one more I need to finish.

And don't be surprised if you see some FFL in these.  It may not be necessary, it depends on how the campaign works out, I'm just warning you ;)

And let's not forget vertical envelopment.  Also "former" US equipment.  I can almost promise these will be used.

In any case, the forces are ready to roll, I just to come up with an OOB and setting.  I was reading about "Sous Groupment," which essentially translates as "mission oriented battalion task force," i.e., a base unit of infantry (two platoons) and a light tank platoon, with various other elements that can be added dependent upon mission requirements.  I believe this is the OOB I will adopt, although minus the light tank platoon.  The Panhards will be available on a mission requirement basis, but the base force will be the two rifle platoons comprised of the six 5-man teams.  Then I can add the light tanks, IFVs, light armor (LAVs), HMMWVs, Land Rovers, the SAM, the mortar, and/or helos.  That's my plan for the OOB.

For the setting, I think I don't need too elaborate a back story.  This is the Legion, so they are available for worldwide deployment in service of France's foreign policy objectives.  I think I'll stick with real-life countries, with real and imaginary incidents/conflicts.  I'm looking at early/mid-90s, with lots of action in the Balkans and Eastern Europe following the break-up of the Soviet Union.  I'll be looking a lot at former French colonies, so we'll also have plenty of Northern and Western Africa, maybe some Lebanon, Cambodia, and Laos, maybe some Caribbean, need to look into Central/South America, and the Pacific (terrorists in Tahiti/French Polynesia?).

Whaddaya think?  If you've got ideas regarding OOB or campaign hotspots, hurry up with'em, I'd like to kick this off on Tuesday (Veteran's Day).

V/R,
Jack