Marine Fusilier Regiments
Marine Fusilier Regiments (RFM or Marine rifle regiments) are marine infantry regiments belonging to the Algerian Navy.
They are the Algerian equivalents of the USMC.[1]
History
The first marine rifle battalions were created in 1986, the officer behind the creation of these units was General Abdelmadjid Chérif.[2]
The marine riflemen, like the parachute commandos of the Algerian Land Forces, are recognised as elite units of the Algerian army. Moreover, following the creation of these units, the navy wanted to have a landing force that could operate in amphibious zones and that could lead to an operation in depth like their parachute counterparts in the army.[2]
The marine riflemen are also a rapid-action and specialised operations force, they are fully autonomous and have their own logistics, combat and support capabilities.[2][1]
However, it was in 2005 that the Marine Commandos Corps was created with the release of its first class.[2][3]
Organization
The marine rifle regiments have an organization quite similar to their parachute commando counterparts in the Algerian Land Forces.
There are currently 8 identified marine rifle regiments :[4]
- The 1st Marine Rifle Regiment of Jijel
- The 3rd Marine Rifle Regiment of Azzefoun
- The 4th marine rifle regiment of El Milia
- The 5th Marine Rifle Regiment of Ténès
- The 7th Marine Rifle Regiment of Boumerdes
- ?? Marine Rifle Regiment of Dellys
- ?? Regiment of marine fusiliers of Mers-El-Kébir
- The 15th Coastal Artillery Regiment of Collo (Marine Artillery Component)
The operational organization
The marine rifle regiments are organized like all the regiments of the Algerian army:
- 1 General staff
- 3 Fighting companies
- 1 Logistics company
- 1 Anti-tank company
- 1 Recognition and support company
- 1 Transmission company
Tasks
Marine fusiliers act primarily in the amphibious environment, in the maquis and on the seaside, marine fusiliers provide the material and human resources that enable them to carry out their missions, hence their autonomy.[2]
With the other units of the Algerian Navy, army and air force, it therefore deals with all operations in strategic areas, at depth and in hostile environments, such as :[2]
- Special reconnaissance
- Specialized action in depth
- Counter-terrorism on land and at sea
- Amphibious support and sustainment to special operations (with special forces)
- Recovery, protection and surveillance of strategic points
- The fight against illicit trafficking at sea and on the Algerian coast
- Protection of the Algerian coast from various threats (pollution, traffic...)
- Securing the Algerian maritime space
- Search and Rescue Support
- The protection of strategic points belonging to the Algerian Navy.
Training
Marine riflemen are trained at the Marine Rifle and Diver School (EFMP) in Jijel. This school trains marine riflemen, marine commandos and combat divers of the Algerian Navy and other army corps.
Following his training, the student will be incorporated into a marine rifle regiment and will then be able to pass specialized training such as mine clearance... or pass the selection and training to become a marine commando.
In addition, marine riflemen also take part in training sessions abroad, notably in the United States with the USMC,[1] the US Army[1] and the US NAVY,[5] in Italy with the San Marco Regiment,[6] and in Spain with the FGNE[7] and the Marine Infantery units.[1][2]
Equipment and armaments
Armament
Handgun
Assault rifle
Machine gun
Precision rifle
Others
Individual equipment
- Spectra Helmet
- Algerian Army lattice with DPM camouflage
- Tactical vest
- Bullet-proof vest
- Gloves
- Knee and elbow pads
- Thigh Holster (and Belt Holster)
- Rangers
- Protective goggles
- Camelback
- Fighting bag
- Communication Headset
Vehicles
- Mercedes-Benz G Class
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Nissan Patrol
- Mercedes-Benz Zetros
- Mercedes-Benz Unimog
- SNVI M 120
- SNVI M 230
- SNVI M 260
Special vehicles
Support vessels
- BDSL Kalaat Beni Abbes of San Giorgio class
- Kalaat Beni Class Landing Vessel
- Landing ship Polnochny class
Aeral
- MI-17 of the Algerian Air Force
References
- "Algeria - Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- "Fusiliers Marins [Algerian Naval Forces Infantry Brigade] - ForcesDZ". www.forcesdz.com. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- "Forces spéciales et groupes d'intervention antiterroristes algériens » Centre Français de Recherche sur le Renseignement". Centre Français de Recherche sur le Renseignement (in French). Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- "Fusiliers Marins [Algerian Naval Forces Infantry Brigade] - Page 13 - ForcesDZ". www.forcesdz.com. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- "USS Donald Cook Executes Passing Exercise with Algerian Navy". U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa / U.S. 6th Fleet. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- "Italy hosts Algerian Navy for bilateral exercise Medex". Naval Today. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- "Las Armadas argelina y española realizan maniobras bilaterales" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-15.