General presentation

A regiment unlike any other

Deep in the French Alps, there exists a regiment unlike any other. The 4^th Chasseurs Regiment — abbreviated 4th RCh — combines two military traditions that seem at first glance entirely opposed: armored cavalry, a discipline of speed and firepower, and mountain troops, a world of endurance, ruggedness, and extreme terrain.

Based in Gap, in the Hautes-Alpes, since 1983, at the Quartier Général Guillaume, the regiment is the cavalry unit of the 27^th Mountain Infantry Brigade. Its approximately 850 men and women are tasked with gathering intelligence, reconnaissance, fire support, and combat in terrain that most armored units avoid: alpine passes, steep-sided valleys, and massifs subject to unpredictable weather conditions.

Its motto, "Always ready, always willing", alone encapsulates the state of mind expected of its members: permanent availability, unconditional commitment, and the ability to step up in the most difficult conditions.

Operational role

The missions of the 4th RCh

Within the hierarchy of the 27^th BIM, the 4^th RCh holds a central and singular role. Where mountain infantry advances on foot across ridgelines and passes, the regiment brings the mobility, firepower, and intelligence-gathering capabilities of armored cavalry.

Its main missions are organized around five areas:

• Intel. Intelligence through rapid movement Identifying threats, monitoring axes and sensitive areas, providing headquarters with an accurate picture of enemy terrain.
• Recon. Reconnaissance and area control Covering vast areas, securing the flanks of engaged units, controlling lines of advance.
• Combat Combat with armored vehicles Engaging the enemy with vehicles armed with 90 or 105 mm cannons, neutralizing resistance, holding strongpoints.
• Support Support for mountain units Supporting high-mountain infantry through fire and maneuver, particularly during assault or withdrawal phases.
• Terrain Engagement in difficult terrain Operating on steep slopes, in winter conditions, with mountain-specific equipment and training.

Specialty

Armored combat in the mountains: a challenge in its own right

Armored combat is already a demanding discipline in open terrain. In the mountains, it reaches a radically different level of complexity. Narrow roads bordered by precipices, vertiginous elevation changes, weather that shifts within hours, visibility often reduced by fog or snow, logistical isolation, mechanical breakdowns increased by cold and altitude, difficulties crossing waterways and ridgelines: every usual parameter is multiplied tenfold.

It was in this context that the 4^th RCh conducted, from 13 to 18 October 2024, the exercise Edelweiss 2024, presented by the French Army as an unprecedented armored combat exercise in high mountain terrain. On the passes of Bonette, Cayolle, and Allos, as well as in the Ubaye valleys, the crews maneuvered at high intensity, coordinating armored vehicles, infantry, fire support, and intelligence capabilities in a hostile alpine environment.

This duality — mastery of armored vehicles and adaptation to the alpine environment — makes the 4^th RCh a unit with no direct equivalent within the French Army. It is, literally, the armored eye of the mountain brigade.

Equipment

Equipment and armored vehicles

To fulfill its missions, the regiment relies on armored vehicles designed to meet the demands of reconnaissance and combat. Historically associated with the AMX-10 RC — the French Army's premier reconnaissance armored vehicle — the regiment is also part of the modernization drive initiated by the Scorpion program.

• Armored AMX-10 RC / AMX-10 RCR Armored reconnaissance and combat vehicle, armed with a 105 mm cannon. Symbol of French reconnaissance cavalry for several decades.
• Armored ERC 90 A light wheeled armored vehicle equipped with a 90 mm cannon, designed for rapid deployment and mobility.
• Liaison VBL (Light Armored Vehicle) A versatile vehicle providing liaison, close protection, and light reconnaissance missions.
• Scorpion Griffon & Jaguar As part of the Scorpion program, the French Army is modernizing its cavalry. The Jaguar — a next-generation reconnaissance and combat vehicle — carries on the historical mission of the AMX-10 RC.

Overseas deployments

From the Balkans to the Sahel, a deployable regiment

True to its operational profile, the 4^th RCh is not a garrison regiment. For several decades, its squadrons have been deployed on numerous overseas theaters, putting their expertise in reconnaissance, armored mobility, fire support, and combat in complex environments into practice.

History

Two and a half centuries of military history

The history of the 4^th RCh begins in 1779, under the Ancien Régime, with the formation of the Volunteers of Clermont-Prince — hence the nickname "Clermont-Prince" that the regiment still carries as a reference to its origins. Since then, the regiment has lived through every major period of French military history.

Battle honours on the standard

The standard of the 4^th RCh bears the following inscriptions, witnesses to more than two centuries of engagements:

Notable figures

Notable personalities associated with the regiment

The history of the 4^th RCh is marked by remarkable military figures. Among them, three names deserve particular mention:

Hubert Lyautey

Future Marshal of France, Resident General in Morocco and a major figure in the French army of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hubert Lyautey commanded a squadron of the regiment during his career. His time with the 4^th RCh illustrates the unit's reputation for excellence.

Alain de Boissieu

A general, Companion of the Liberation and son-in-law of General de Gaulle, Alain de Boissieu is associated with the history of the regiment. His personal journey embodies the values of honor and commitment that the 4^th RCh has upheld since its creation.

Xavier de Cacqueray-Valménier

An officer killed in action for France during the Algerian War, Xavier de Cacqueray-Valménier is honored by the regiment: his name is associated with the mountain post of the 4^th RCh, a living testament to the sacrifice made by the chasseurs in the performance of their missions.

In summary

A regiment like no other

The 4^th Chasseurs Regiment holds a singular place within the French Army. Heir to a tradition more than two centuries old, it has adapted to each era — from Napoleonic light cavalry to the modern armored vehicles of the Scorpion program — without ever losing what defines its deep identity: versatility, ruggedness, and the demands of difficult terrain.

Based in the heart of the Alps, it continues to train its crews in an art of combat that few regiments have mastered: driving armored vehicles where maps seem to say it is impossible. In this, the 4^th RCh remains, true to its motto, always ready, always willing.