The Parachute Commandos Regiments are parachute regiments of the 17th Parachute Division of Biskra of the land forces of the Algerian People's National Army. These regiments are so-called "special troops" regiments by virtue of their missions and status.
History
Previously the parachutists of the Algerian Army were not in the form of regiments but of groups, the first parachutist regiments therefore made their appearance in the 1980s, the first regiments were the 4th, 12th and 18th RPC. The 1st RPC and the 5th RPC were created in 1995. These regiments were then integrated into the Centre de Conduite et de Coordination des Actions de Lutte Anti-Subversive also in 1995. The 6th RPC is the last regiment to have been created as it was created in 2009. The parachute commandos thus belong to the 17th Parachute Division, which is a predominantly infantry division but with more sensitive missions than the infantry regiments. The 17th Parachute Division was created in 1991 by decree, and is specialised in airborne combat and air assault, its main mission being emergency projection.
The regiments have a strength of about 700 men, that is to say between 9000 and 10000 paratroopers for the 17th DP. Airborne intervention is the main mode of action of parachutists, they are also capable of engaging under armoured protection with BTR-80s or Fuchs 2s and tactical reconnaissance vehicles, in a very short time and with weapons and equipment... that can be dropped or heliborne into a combat zone. Each regiment has :
The 12th RPC is a specialized regiment, with two special operations companies and specialized sections similar to the French GCP or the 75th American Ranger Regiment. It is the elite parachute regiment for conventional forces. in 2012.
Missions
Parachute commandos act primarily in the air-land environment, the parachutists provide the material and human resources to carry out the missions, and the commandos therefore work directly with the other units. Parachute commandos have the following mission :
The recovery and protection of strategic objectives
In addition, the RPC is very much present in border security missions, particularly on the Libyan border. By virtue of their missions, the RPC have the status of "special troops"; they are the equivalent of the 75th Ranger Regiment.
At The end of the course, the student is subject to a diploma examination. In addition, some will go for advanced training at the commandos training centre in Boghar. Para-commando units are basically organized on the model of the Russian Spetsnaz, and many officers and non-commissioned officers have undergone additional and specialized training in South Korea, China, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Germany, Russia, and France. The level of training there is very advanced in all areas of individual and collective combat.
