History

The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) was created in 1921 in Sousse, Tunisia, from elements of the mounted companies of the 2e REI. At that time, the Foreign Legion consisted only of infantry regiments. It was the Russian legionnaires, drawing on their seasoned horsemanship, who enabled the Legion to distinguish itself in a new discipline.

History has recorded the remarkable adaptability of the Legion’s cavalrymen: fighters on horseback in Syria and Morocco, the legionnaires of the 1er REC were equipped, from 1930 onward, with armored cars on which they distinguished themselves during the campaigns of France and Tunisia in 1940 and 1943. After the Liberation, they were equipped with AMM 8. During the Indochina War, the legionnaires converted their regiment into an amphibious unit to fight aboard “Crabes” and “Alligators.” Upon returning from Algeria, they resumed a reconnaissance role and were equipped with suitable armored vehicles.

On 11 July 2014, the 1er REC moved from Orange to Carpiagne, after 47 years in the “City of Princes.”

Mission

The 1er REC enjoys a dual uniqueness: it is the only Foreign Legion regiment specialized in armored combat and the only one within the Armored Cavalry arm. Equipped with EBRC Jaguar, AMX 10 RC‑R, and reconnaissance VBL with anti‑tank capability, it is one of the two armored cavalry regiments of the 6th Light Armored Brigade.

Building on its dual uniqueness and continuous operational commitments, the 1er REC relies on a strong operational culture and offers the flexibility, firepower, and exceptional speed of execution characteristic of light armored cavalry, combined with the ruggedness and discipline of the Foreign Legion. Thus, on 13 January 2013, in less than 48 hours, the 3rd Squadron and the ECL were deployed to Operation Serval from Chad.