franco-german brigade

Created in October 1989 by the two nations, the Franco-German Brigade (FGB) came to be after dialogue between Chancellor Helmut Kohl and the President of the Republic François Mitterrand two years earlier.

This unique operational and efficient military unit is a bi-national infantry brigade that is similar to the national brigades of these countries, but with the special feature of being bi-national and also with a broader range of operational capabilities.

Consisting of 5,600 soldiers, with 60% German and 40% French, the units that make up the brigade are headquartered on both sides of the Rhine River in Müllheim in Baden-Württemberg along with six regiments and battalions, and an independent company.

As a permanent bilateral interoperable structure, the FGB enables France and Germany to train together in order to be ready to intervene and to participate in side-by-side operations, making it a significant element of both the European Union's and NATO's responsiveness.

The brigade participates in major NATO exercises and has deployed to operations in Afghanistan (International Security Assistance – ISAF) and Kosovo (Kosovo Force – KFOR).

The Franco-German brigade is considered one of the oldest foundations of Franco-German cooperation and a valuable asset to both the EU and NATO.

Find us on

Explore SHAPE

Quicklinks

NATO Headquarters Brussels (NATO HQ)

Allied Command Transformation (ACT)

International Military Staff (IMS)

Address

SHAPE
Rue Grande
7010 Mons
Belgium

Email

shapepao@shape.nato.int

Media Operations

Public Affairs Office
Attn: Media Section
7010 Mons
Belgium