Recently, a 120 mm heavy mortar platoon was formed within the 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade (13e DBLE). In November 2024, the platoon took part in a military exercise.
Designated the 120 mm Mortar Support Platoon (Section Appui Mortier de 120, SAM), its first elements underwent instruction in Ivory Coast earlier this year. Considered operational, the SAM moved in early November to Camp Canjuers, the largest military camp in continental Europe (built by legionnaires of the CPLE and 61e BMGL), to maneuver alongside their colleagues from the 3e RAMa (Marine Artillery Regiment).
Among Foreign Legion regiments, the 13e DBLE’s heavy mortar platoon is the first such platoon reactivated after their dissolution a quarter of a century earlier. The decision was based on lessons learned from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, where artillery once again proved its important role.
In the Legion, the 120 mm heavy mortars appeared in Algeria in the 1950s and again in France in the 1970s. They replaced the earlier artillery batteries, used from the 1930s to the 1940s.



Click the image below and watch a short video published by the 6th Light Armored Brigade, showing the 13e DBLE artillerymen at Camp Canjuers, 2024:
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History of the Foreign Legion Artillery Batteries