Line #40 UsefulNotes/GaulsWithGrenades


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/97561326.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''La gloire en marche, n'est-ce pas?'']]
3
4	->''"Their business is war, and they do their business."''
5	-->-- '''Creator/RudyardKipling''', regarding French military.
6
7	The French Armed Forces, one of the world's oldest and finest. The Armed Forces are the direct responsibility of the President of France, who serves as commander-in-chief, through the offices of the Minister of Defence with operational responsibility under the Chief of the Defence Staff, divided into 5 service branches plus the service support commands under the direct responsibility of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence.
8
9	!!'''Rifles Of Revolutionaries'''
10
11	For decades, the iconic assault rifle of the French military was the FAMAS. Dubbed "the bugle" for a while on account of its appearance, it's forever remembered as the weapon of [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Solid Snake]].
12	Its early bullpup design gave it a compact design, making it handier in close-quarter combat, while retaining great precision at longer range, at the price of a time of adaptation for those not accustomed to bullpup rifles. It is also one of the first assault rifles with both right-handed and left-handed settings for case ejection, though one needs to disassemble it to change it. However, despite clever design and great performances during tests for its time, it was also a maintenance hog, and prone to jam on the field - partially due to some highly constraining norms some ObstructiveBureaucrat imposed on its slack (such as optimizing it for a different type of 5.56x45mm ammunition than ''either'' the original American M193 or the current NATO standard [=SS109=], and adopting a disposable magazine not intended for reuse...but then reusing them anyway to save money).
13
14	More recent versions lessened some of its problems, but as it definitely showed its age (and due to budget cuts the most improved version only drew a small order from the French Navy), the French Army officially switched to the German [=HK416=] in 2017, with a complete replacement of the FAMAS planned for 2020.
15
16	It is also the first army to put its own [[VaporWare Future Soldier]] equivalent up, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FÉLIN FÉLIN]] system. Among other things, it includes a camera mounted on the rifle instead of the sight, whose image is directly projected on the soldier's glasses (including HUD stuff like data and icons), also used for all sorts of information network goodness. Initially deployed in 2011 in Afghanistan, it showed great effectiveness since, despite the increased weight.
17
18	!!'''French military vehicles and nukes'''
19
20	France has a pretty notable military, with the sole non-American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (appropriately named the ''UsefulNotes/CharlesDeGaulle'') in the world. A conventional one was on order, but has since been cancelled due to the ever-present budget limits.
21
22	France is a [[UsefulNotes/TheUltimateResistance nuclear weapons state]]. Most of its missiles are now carried by submarines, but it has some air-launched missiles and formerly had land-launched ones too.
23
24	Dassault is a world-known military aircraft company. Its most famous product is the Mirage fighter series, sold to quite a few countries worldwide, with the original Mirage III being one of the best-selling fighters of all time. Oddly, the most notable use of Dassault equipment is when [[UsefulNotes/IsraelisWithInfraredMissiles the IDF]] brought them to bear during the [[UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict Suez Crisis and Six Day War]].
25
26	Its latest product is the [[CoolPlane Rafale]], which is ultimately going to [[JackOfAllStats replace seven current aircraft]] types in French service. The most expensive variant of the Rafale comes with a 90 million Euro price tag, which is still cheaper than the cost of an American F-22 Raptor while also being multi-use as an "omnirole" fighter with both air force and naval versions, able to take nearly any role including [[UsefulNotes/TheUltimateResistance nuclear strikes]]. On the other hand, its approach to stealth is different from the F-22 : instead of aiming for [[InvisibilityCloak Very Low Observable]], it is Low Observable but with a few tricks, such as SPECTRA, an ECM system to hide from long-range radars and distant enemy planes by spoofing their signals to "pretend" it's not there. It is of particular note for the speed of its development on an industrial level, starting behind its greatest rival (The Eurofighter Typhoon) and yet got into service first without compromising its ability in the haste... But also for the [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere several reasons]] that caused France to leave the Eurofighter project[[note]]The main reaons were the insistence of France to develop a carrier-based variant of the plane to replace their outdated naval plane fleet as well as the capacity to embark airborne nuclear weapons, something the Brits refused since they had Harriers and use submarine-launched warheads; the fear that French companies such as [=SNECMA=] (plane reactors manufacturers) and Thomson (electronics) wouldn't survive if Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems handled the production; and general complaints that France (mostsly Dassault and Airbus) would allegedly have to carry the brunt of R&D costs.[[/note]]. The Rafale is scheduled to retire in 2035 and be replaced by the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Combat_Air_System FCAS]], a joint project between France, Spain and Germany.
27
28	It has seen plenty of flying hours, thoroughly proving itself in Afghanistan, Libya and then Mali. It has also performed recon over Nigeria to help search for missing hostages and regularly makes dramatic demonstrations at airshows, more than once becoming the favourite on show.
29
30	The Char Leclerc[[note]]While for unknown reasons the name "AMX-56" has been attached to it, this has never been official (AMX ceased to exist in 1973 when it was merged into the newly created firm GIAT, 10 years before development even began on the Leclerc) and its use has become something of a BerserkButton among tank enthusiasts.[[/note]] is France's current main battle tank, made by Nexter of France, formerly GIAT. Developed in 1991, it replaced the AMX 30 from the Cold War. The Leclerc uses non-explosive reactive armor, as opposed to the explosive reactive armor found on most tanks. It carries a 120mm smoothbore cannon that can theoretically fire any NATO standard ammunition, but typically carries French-made ammo. While not having been combat proven yet, it is already well known for having ''excellent'' mobility (its unique armor gives it a weight a full 12 tons lighter than the [=M1A2=] Abrams and 5 tons lighter than the Leopard 2A6, the most advanced iterations of its American and German counterparts, and allows for the best power-to-weight ratio of any main battle tank), but is the second most expensive tank manufactured (it was dethroned by the South Koren K-2 Black Panther), with each unit costing ''three times as much'' as an [=M1A2=] Abrams. France and Germany are currently working together to create the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Ground_Combat_System EMBT]], a new generation tank scheduled to replace both French Leclercs and German Leopards.
31
32	However, France tend to use light armor like the wheeled VBCI when they don't expect to meet anything heavier than a T-62, as those [[FragileSpeedster are faster, better on rough or mountainous terrain]], and [[BoringButPractical way cheaper]]. A new light armored vehicle, the Jaguar, is scheduled to enter service in 2020 and replace the VBCI as well as several other light armored vehicles.
33
34	Another famous piece of French military tech is the Exocet anti-shipping missile, made most famous by the Falklands War. There are air-launched, sub-launched and ship-launched versions, the missiles being widely exported. To give you an idea of its capability, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sheffield_(D80) HMS Sheffield]]'' was sunk by one that failed to explode.
35
36	!!'''Other notes'''
37
38	French naval officers are not called "mon capitaine", but just "capitaine", unlike the other branches.
39	* This is because the mon signifies monsieur ("mister," or, more literally, "my lord") rather than the possessive mon (my). It is an honorific. Napoleon, however, had little respect for the French navy, mostly because of Trafalgar defeat, and denied them that honor.
40
41	Despite the CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys stereotype, France actually has a pretty good war record up until the 20th century. Whether ultimately winning UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar against England, fighting and winning against large coalitions under UsefulNotes/LouisXIV, providing naval aid and essential supplies to the colonial forces during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution, defeating the rest of Europe in the French Revolutionary Wars, nearly ''conquering'' the rest of the continent in the Napoleonic Wars, or fighting toe to toe with the UsefulNotes/GermanEmpire during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, France has a remarkable military history that's only taken a beating due to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 (or so), their eventual close and hard-fought defeat against massive coalition forces (often disingenuously presented as only or mainly British) in the Napoleonic Era, UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and subsequent colonial defeats at the hands of countries like Algeria[[note]]sort of : after learning from their Indochinese mistakes in counter-insurgency, they were actually very effective against the FLN, which was crushed at the end of the war. But for that, they had to use [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone unsavoury tactics]], made even worse by the fact that many of the elite troops were former résistants. At the end, the military announced its victory to UsefulNotes/CharlesDeGaulle, but added that if there wasn't a political solution, there would be a new war ten years later. So De Gaulle decided to [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere pull back the Army and give Algeria independence]]. Which was followed by massacres between Algerians and against French residents that made the entire war pale in comparison. So pretty much everyone considers it at least a total moral defeat.[[/note]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochina Indochina]] (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos). It should be noted that France is the only other country besides the Mongol Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to have actually captured Moscow in an invasion of Russia; the only difference being the Russians burned it to the ground rather than let the French take it. In the First World War, 1.5 million young French men were killed in battle. The Battle of France in 1940 wasn't lost because of any lack of badass on the part of the French and British, it was lost due to serious strategic blunders, hubris, HeadInTheSandManagement and critical lack of innovation on the part of the French generals.
42
43	Then of course, there is the legendary French Resistance and the counterattacks under Leclerc (not the tank, the man) to retake France in the Allies Normandy Campaign and its follow-up through Germany ; and the fierce combats in North Africa where the [[LesserStar lesser-known]] general König, assisted by the British, managed to slow down Rommel's Afrikakorps. This is an often forgotten chapter outside France but one they were heavily involved in and just as deserving of credit for as the Americans and British.
44
45	Nowadays, while suffering from repeated budget cuts like many European armies (military budget is, however, on the rise since 2016) since the Cold War ended, it still remains a very competent army. In particular, the recent operation in Mali is widely regarded as an outstanding military success, storming even the Islamist forces even in their mountains and pretty much destroying them before could reach the heart of Mali's cities.
46
47	The Armed Forces, since the French terror attacks of 2014 and 2015, have also been active fighting the forces of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, as well as in Afghanistan and other terror hotspots while helping to defend the whole of France and its overseas territories. To help achieve these responsbilities in a changing world the National Guard was officially reestablished in the fall of 2016 - 145 years since its disbandment - this time as an independent branch of the armed forces.
48
49	An oddity of the French military in the modern age (the practice used to be commonplace) is that the [[UsefulNotes/LesCopsSportif Gendarmerie Nationale]] actually still ''is'' a gendarmerie (a branch of the military used for civilian law enforcement) rather than (as is common in former French colonies) simply retaining the Gendarmerie name out of tradition after becoming a civilian police force. Thanks to its dual role as military and police, the Gendarmerie Mobile subdivision was until 2010 (when budget cuts forced their retirement) probably the only police force in the world to equipped with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VBC-90 tank destroyers]].
50
51	!!'''French Army''' (Armée de terre)
52
53	From Website/TheOtherWiki:
54
55	The principal land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, French Air and Space Force, and the National Gendarmerie. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Staff of the French Army (CEMAT), who is subordinate of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CEMA), who commands active service Army units and in turn is responsible to the President of France. CEMAT is also directly responsible to the Ministry of the Armed Forces for administration, preparation, and equipment. The French Army, following the French Revolution, has generally been composed of a mixed force of conscripts and professional volunteers. It is now considered a professional force, since the French Parliament suspended the conscription of soldiers.
56
57	The organisation of the army is fixed by Chapter 2 of Title II of Book II of the Third Part of the Code of Defense, notably resulting in the codification of Decree 2000-559 of 21 June 2000.
58
59	In terms of Article R.3222-3 of the Code of Defence, the Army comprises:
60
61	* The Army Chief of Staff (Chef d'état-major de l'armée de Terre (CEMAT)).
62	* The army staff (l'état-major de l'armée de Terre or EMAT), which gives general direction and management of all the components;
63	* The Army Inspectorate (l'inspection de l'armée de Terre);
64	* The Army Human Resources Directorate (la direction des ressources humaines de l'armée de Terre or DRHAT);
65	* The forces;
66	* A territorial organisation (seven regions, see below)
67	* The services;
68	* The personnel training and military higher training organisms.
69
70	The French Army was reorganized in 2016. The new organisation consists of two combined divisions (carrying the heritage of 1st Armored and 3rd Armored divisions) and given three combat brigades to supervise each. There is also the Franco-German Brigade. The 4th Airmobile Brigade was reformed to direct the three combat helicopter regiments. There are also several division-level (niveau divisionnaire) specialized commands including Intelligence, Information and communication systems, Maintenance, Logistics, Special Forces, Army Light Aviation, Foreign Legion, National Territory, Training.
71
72	!!'''French Navy''' (Marine nationale)
73
74	From Website/TheOtherWiki:
75
76	The maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in the world recognised as being a blue-water navy. The French Navy is capable of operating globally and conducting expeditionary missions, maintaining a significant overseas presence. The French Navy is one of eight naval forces currently operating fixed-wing aircraft carriers, with its flagship Charles de Gaulle being the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the United States Navy, and one of two non-American vessels to use catapults to launch aircraft.
77
78	Founded in the 17th century, the French Navy is one of the oldest navies still in continuous service, with precursors dating back to the Middle Ages. It has taken part in key events in French history, including the Napoleonic Wars and both world wars, and played a critical role in establishing and securing the French colonial empire for over 400 years. The French Navy pioneered several innovations in naval technology, including the first steam-powered ship of the line, first seagoing ironclad warship, first mechanically propelled submarine, first steel-hulled warship, and first armoured cruiser.
79
80	The French Navy consists of six main components: the Naval Action Force, the Submarine Forces (FOST and ESNA), French Naval Aviation, the Navy Riflemen (including Naval Commandos), the Marseille Naval Fire Battalion, and the Maritime Gendarmerie. As of 2021, the French Navy employed 44,000 personnel (37,000 military and 7,000 civilian), more than 180 ships, 200 aircraft, and six commandos units; as of 2014, its reserve element numbered roughly 48,000.
81
82	It operates a wide range of fighting vessels, including various aeronaval forces, attack and ballistic missile submarines, frigates, patrol boats and support ships, with aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle serving as the centerpiece of most expeditionary forces.
83
84	!!'''French Air Force''' (Armée de l'air)
85
86	From Website/TheOtherWiki:
87
88	The air force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the French Air Force. The number of aircraft in service with the French Air Force varies depending on the source; the Ministry of Armed Forces gives a figure of 658 aircraft in 2014. According to 2018 data, this figure includes 210 combat aircraft: 115 Dassault Mirage 2000 and 95 Dassault Rafale. As of 2021, the French Air Force employs a total of 40,500 regular personnel, with a reserve element of 5,187 in 2014.
89
90	!!'''The French military in fiction'''
91
92	''[[LegionOfLostSouls The Foreign Legion]]''
93
94	The most notable part is The French Foreign Legion, romanticised as a place for a man to start anew and featured in a [[LegionOfLostSouls lot of works of media]].
95
96	Any one joining the Foreign Legion gets a new identity ''and'' French nationality at the end of their service. ''If'' you're French to begin with, you can pick new nationality (usually Belgian, Swiss, or Canadian)[[note]]The Legion's marching song, "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Boudin Le Boudin]]", mentions the Swiss, the Alsatians, and Lorrains positively (Alsace and Lorraine had just been taken by Germany when the song was written) and Belgians negatively (the King of Belgium had asked that the Belgian Legionnaires not fight in the Franco-Prussian War), calling them "lazy bums"[[/note]] while you're in the Legion. Nowadays, you can also keep your French nationality. Note that despite its name, all its officers are actually French, as well as about 30% of its troops.
97
98	Historically, the Legion's promise of a new identity attracted many criminals and other shady elements (including, in the aftermath of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, some ''[[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany captured Waffen-SS soldiers]]'' who were given the option to enlist to avoid execution). Today the Legion is considered a highly prestigious elite combat unit, and so there are rigorous background checks, so this isn't necessarily true anymore. While they offer a new identity, you can still be pursued for [[SerialKiller blood]] or [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil "mores"]] crimes.
99
100	The Foreign Legion is also known for its [[TheSpartanWay especially brutal training methods]]. It was considered normal for a certain percentage of Legion recruits to die during training, though now they simply won't recruit those judged physically unable to complete it, let alone die. The Naval Commandos (think French SAS) have an even harsher training, considered one of the harshest in any military.
101
102	Its role changed from CannonFodder to a [[EliteArmy small, elite force]], with its own light armor regiment, as well as its own elite regiment, the 2e REP.
103
104	One of the Foreign Legion's more high-profile missions today is as security-detail at the European Space Agency's Kourou Launch Complex in French Guiana, launch-site of the Ariane rockets.
105
106	* Parodied in Literature/{{Discworld}} when Death joins the Klatchian Foreign Legion.
107	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': Pepe Le Pew joins up at one point. And somehow finds a black cat ...
108	* Creator/LaurelAndHardy: ''Film/TheFlyingDeuces'', in which the duo join the Foreign Legion.
109	* ''[[ComicBook/{{Asterix}} Asterix the Legionary]]'' provides a parody of the Foreign Legion and its training methods in ancient Rome.
110	* ''Film/{{The Mummy\|1999}}'' starts with main character Rick O'Connell and his [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder back-stabbing]] sidekick Beni Gabor in the French Foreign Legion fighting against Arabs on a quest to find the lost ancient Egyptian city of Hamunaptra.
111	* In the ''Literature/{{Hoka}}'' series of stories, a group of overly-imaginative alien anthropomorphic teddy bears have formed their own French Foreign Legion, and end up getting convinced by a human diplomat to travel to another planet with him to rescue his wife from a primitive alien tribe who have made her queen and are giving her [[FelonyMisdemeanor many fattening meals as tribute.]]
112	* ''Literature/BeauGeste'' and its numerous adaptations, including of course Snoopy's adventures near Fort Zinderneuf as Beau Snoopy.
113
114	General, before the 20th century:
115	* The novel ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'' by Creator/AlexandreDumas and its various sequels, [[DerivativeWorks/DArtagnanRomances adaptations and derivative works]], set in the first half of the [[TheCavalierYears 17th century]]. Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan were loosely based on real Musketeers. The [[Film/TheThreeMusketeers2023 2023 version]] notably features TheSiege of La Rochelle, which is oftentimes ignored by adaptations.
116	* The play ''Theatre/CyranoDeBergerac'' by Edmond Rostand and its [[Film/CyranoDeBergerac 1990 film version]] (17th century) feature him and Christian at war in the final act. Also based on a real soldier.
117	* ''Film/{{Cartouche}}'' (18th century)
118	* ''Film/FanfanLaTulipe'' and its [[Film/FanfanLaTulipe2003 2003 remake]] (both set during the UsefulNotes/SevenYearsWar in the 18th century).
119	* Creator/JeanRenoir's ''La Marseillaise''.
120	* Numerous works about the UsefulNotes/{{Napoleon\|Bonaparte}}ic [[UsefulNotes/TheNapoleonicWars Wars]], naturally. An exhaustive list can be found [[MediaNotes/TheNapoleonicEraInFiction here]], but some on film and television are particularly worth mentioning such as 1927's ''[[Film/Napoleon1927 Napoléon]]'', 1960's ''Film/{{Austerlitz}}'', 1970's ''Film/{{Waterloo}}'', 2002's ''[[Series/Napoleon2002 Napoléon]]'' and 2023's ''Film/{{Napoleon\|2023}}''.
121
122	General modern-age:
123
124	* ''Film/The7thCompany'' is a [[ArmedFarces comedy film series]] that follows the antics of three not very bright French soldiers who gets lost on the front in summer 1940 as German soldiers start occupying the country.
125	* ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'':
126	** ''VideoGame/Battlefield1942'': The World War II Free French were playable on some maps of the ''Road to Rome'' ExpansionPack.
127	** ''VideoGame/Battlefield1'': The World War I French army was infamously[[note]]How infamously? Take UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar and try leaving the Union out[[/note]] absent from the base game and eventually showed up with the ''They Shall Not Pass'' DLC.
128	* The French government and armed forces appear in several of ''Literature/TheBigOne'' series of books. The portrayal is usually very positive although the Vichy French collaborationist government is depicted as [[TruthInTelevision weak and venal]]. Other than that, the French armed forces are seen as being capable, courageous, magnanimous in victory and going down fighting when faced with defeat. In A Mighty Endeavor, France manages to carry on fighting for ten days after being left in the lurch by the British armistice with Germany. One of the two protagonists in the novella "Eye of the Despoiler" is a French paratrooper who is portrayed as brave, competent and unstintingly loyal to his friends.
129	* In ''Literature/RedStormRising'', French F-8 Crusaders (retired from US service not too long after [[UsefulNotes/VietnamWar Vietnam]]) operating from the carrier ''Foch'', thanks to a diversion drawing off US Navy aircraft, are the only naval aircraft to successfully engage Soviet [[ReportingNames Backfires]] that sent a MacrossMissileMassacre at the NATO carrier battlegroup. Unfortunately, the few bombers shot down were only lost after the missiles had hit, which not only severely damaged (possibly destroyed) the ''Foch'', but put a hurt on several US warships, including the carrier USS ''Nimitz'', where one of the main protagonists was located at the time.
130	* French tank units are involved in the fighting against the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Posleen]], in Creator/JohnRingo's ''[[Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata Gust Front]]'', along with [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks US]] and [[UsefulNotes/WeAreNotTheWehrmacht German]] tank units, [[HoldTheLine holding the line]] until the [[PoweredArmor ACS]] under "Mighty Mite" can break out and mangle the Posties. The French leadership in general tends to get looked down upon by Ringo in general, but he doesn't carry that over to their armed forces.
131	* ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare 3'' features a mission where an American Delta Force team links up with French [=GIGN=] special forces operators to capture a Russian bombmaker.
132	* ''VideoGame/HitmanCodename47'': 47's "fathers" were all soldiers in the Foreign Legion, with the exception Dr. Ort-Meyer.
133	* The film ''Film/TheGrandIllusion'' by Jean Renoir.
134	* The film ''Film/PathsOfGlory'' by Stanley Kubrick.
135	* The novel and film ''Film/AVeryLongEngagement''.
136	* French soldiers are available to NATO in ''VideoGame/WargameEuropeanEscalation'', and their AMX tanks and FAMAS-wielding infantry are actually some of the most useful units in the game.
137	* They are featured in a couple of missions in ''Videogame/WorldInConflict''. In the flashback chapter of the main storyline they, along with the Americans and other NATO forces, are attempting to drive back a Soviet invasion of southern France. A French officer, Commandant Sabatier, serves as one of your allies for the first of these missions (his forces are off-screen in the second, but the troops you command are still part of the French Army).
138	* In ''Literature/AGiantSuckingSound'', France leads Europe into a War on Terror in Algeria after a terrorist attack that destroys the Eiffel Tower and kills hundreds.
139	* Jean Larteguy's novels, ''The Centurions'' and ''The Praetorians'', depict a squad of French paratroops serving in Indochina, Algeria and the Suez Crisis. The books chronicle their disillusionment with French politicians miring them in unwinnable wars, culminating in several joining UsefulNotes/CharlesDeGaulle's 1958 coup d'état. The main protagonist, Lt. Colonel Raspeguy, is [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed based on]] famous paratroop commander Marcel Bigeard. ''The Centurions'' [[TheFilmOfTheBook became a poorly-reviewed movie]], ''Lost Command'', starring Creator/AnthonyQuinn and Creator/AlainDelon.
140	* The CIA campaign of ''VideoGame/PhantomDoctrine'' starts in 1983 in Beirut (during the Lebanese Civil War) and occasionally features French soldiers as hostile mooks (who wield [=AKs=] instead of FAMAS).'
141	* Scottish IndiePop band Music/CameraObscura's "French Navy" (the lead single from their 2009 album ''My Maudlin Career'') appears to be a love song by a British woman who's fallen hopelessly in love with a [[TitleDrop French Navy]] officer to her Gallic boyfriend.

Context UsefulNotes / GaulsWithGrenades