The traditional military parade of July 14th will be held on the Champs Elysées in the 8th arrondissement. The troops will march starting at 9:00, from the Arc de Triomphe to Concorde.
After “Africa” in 2010, and “overseas” in 2011, the official theme of the parade will be “l’armée en mutation” (“changing the military”) and, for the first time, the peacetime soldiers and UN soldiers will participate in the military parade. Among the highlights of the show: the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Bir Hakim, the 70th anniversary of the creation of three units of the Free French Air Forces (FAFL), the 70th anniversary of the creation of the signal corps with honors to eight signal regiments, and the 220th anniversary of the Marseillaise.
9:10: The troops take place on foot and on motorcycle at the Étoile/Champs-Élysées site.
9:20: Inspection of the troops by the general officers commanding the foot parades and motorcades.
9:45: The honour guards of the Garde Républicaine take place, Place de l’Étoile and Place de la Concorde.
10:00: Arrival of the President of the Republic, Avenue de Friedland. Welcome by Adm. Édouard Guillaud, French Armies Chief of Staff, and Army Corps General Bruneau Dary, Military Governor of Paris. Troops review.
10:20: Honours rendered to the President of the Republic, Place de la Concorde, by the First Infantry Regiment of the Garde Républicaine.
10:25: Opening event.
10:40: Opening flypast commanded by Aerial Division General Patrick Charaix, Deputy General of the National Territory, Commander of Air Defence and Air Operations.
10:45: Troops parade on foot commanded by Brig. General Denis Heck, Territorial Deputy General to the Military Governor of Paris.
11:15: Mounted troops parade. Motorcade commanded by Division General Martial de Braquilanges, Commander and Chief of Staff of Corps 3 of Marseille.
11:30: Closing helicopter flypast.
11:35: Closing event by the Paris Fire Brigade.
11:40: Departure of the President of the Republic.
(parade schedule via parisinfo.com, and is from 2011 – routes/times may alter for 2012)
Tags: champs elysees, military parade
