The Maritime Gendarmerie () is a component of the French National Gendarmerie under operational control of the chief of staff of the French Navy. It employs 1,157 personnel and operates around thirty patrol boats and high-speed motorboats distributed on the littoral waterways of France. Like their land-based colleagues the Gendarmes Maritime are military personnel who carry out policing operations in addition to their primary role as a coast guard service. They also carry out provost duties within the French Navy.
The uniforms and insignia of the Gendarmerie Maritime are very similar to those of the French Navy, but the ranks used are those of the rest of the Gendarmerie (which are the same as the traditional ranks of the French Cavalry).
Mission The mission of the Maritime Gendarmerie is as follows: Maritime safety and of general police force duties in the territorial waters and EEZ, under the authority of the maritime prefect. Criminal Investigation Department under the authority of public prosecutor. Protection of the naval shore establishments. Search and rescue. Participating agency in the Coast guard function
Organisation The Maritime Gendarmerie is commanded by a colonel who is assisted by a staff located in Paris. The coastguard is divided into 3 groupings, 7 companies and 64 units (brigades of research, brigades of monitoring of the littoral, group of safety of the protected zones, group of monitoring of intervention and reinforcement, patrol craft, coastal high-speed motorboats of maritime surveillance) whose geographical distribution is as follows:
Metropolitan France : grouping of the English Channel and the North Sea in Cherbourg (2 companies) grouping of the Atlantic in Brest (4 companies); grouping of the Mediterranean in Toulon (2 companies); company from Paris to the Career-on-Seine (under the authority of the headquarters); national instruction center of the GM (C.N.I.G.M) in Toulon. Overseas: Guadeloupe: 1 patrol craft (Violette); French Guiana: 2 high-speed 20-metre motorboats (Charente and Organabo); Mayotte: 2 high-speed 20-metre patrol boats Verdon and Odet (replaced by Adour in early 2025 due to damage to both by Cyclone Chido in December 2024) French Polynesia: 1 patrol craft (Jasmin) and a brigade; New Caledonia: 1 high-speed motorboat of 20 meters (Dumbéa) and 2 brigades;
Personnel
Commissioned officers are recruited from holders of a master's degree; non-commissioned officers from holders of a high school diploma giving access to university studies; auxiliary gendarmes are recruited without any specific educational prerequisite. Members of the maritime gendarmerie are recruited among officers, nco's and auxiliary gendarmes with a few years of general gendarmerie service. Certificate of competency for sea or inland water navigation and training in scuba diving is a merit for those who wants to join. Within the maritime gendarmerie there exists further specializations such as coxswain, mechanic, diver, underwater investigation technician, maritime and port security operative and watch-keeping officer."Gendarme en unité nautique et maritime." La gendarmerie recrute. Retrieved March 26, 2023."La gendarmerie maritime : gendarmerie spécialisée entre terre et mer." Gendinfo. Retrieved March 26, 2023."Pelotons de sûreté maritime et portuaire : intervention renforcée." Retrieved March 26, 2023. Maritime Gendarmerie Rank title
Maritime Gendarmerie Rank title
Patrol boats ClassPictureTypeBoatDisplacement Note PCG-NG class Patrol boat P727 Rozel P728 Beuzeval 350 tonnes P727 based in Cherbourg, joined by P-728 (temporarily assigned to the navy); up to four more vessels planned to replace Géranium and Jonquille classes between 2026 and 2029 Géranium class Patrol boat P719 Armoise P720 Géranium P722 Violette 100 tonnes P719 based in Cherbourg is former Directorate for Maritime Affairs vessel pending arrival of PCG-NG boats starting 2025 P720 based in Lorient; P722 in Pointe à Pitre Jonquille class Patrol boat P721 Jonquille P723 Jasmin 98 tonnes P721 based in Toulon; P723 in Papeete Maroni class Patrol boat P692 Maroni P693 Oyapock P694 Aber Ildut 72.5 tonnes Based in English Channel/North Sea region: Cherbourg, Dunkirk and Boulogne-sur-Mer Elorn class Patrol craft P601 ElornP602 VerdonP603 AdourP604 ScarpeP605 VertonneP606 DumbéaP607 YserP608 ArgensP609 HéraultP610 GravonaP611 OdetP612 MauryP613 CharenteP614 TechP615 PenfeldP616 TrieuxP617 VésubieP618 EscautP619 HuveauneP620 SèvreP621 Aber Wrac'hP622 EsteronP623 MahuryP624 Organabo 41 tonnes As of 2023: 11 units reported based in the Atlantic/English Channel/North Sea region; 7 in the Mediterranean; 2 in French Guiana; 2 in Mayotte; 1 in New Caledonia (one vessel - Mahury, P623 - reported unserviceable as of late 2022; Odet and Verdon - P602 & P611 - reportedly damaged "beyond repair" in Mayotte by Cyclone Chido in December 2024; replaced by P603 Adour in early 2025) Pavois class Patrol craft P692 PavoisP693 EcuP964 RondacheP695 HarnoisP696 HaubertP697 HeaumeP698 BrigantineP699 Gantelet 10.2 tonnes All boats in service since 2011; reported based in: Le Havre (2 units), Port de Bouc (2 units), Marseille, Cherbourg, Brest and Toulon Armet class Training vessel P801 Armet 17.2 tonnes Assigned to the maritime gendarmerie training center in Toulon
See also Coastguard Service of the French Customs Directorate general for Maritime affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer Brigades nautiques et fluviales
References
External links Official Site of the Gendarmerie Maritime on Ministry of Defense French only Official Site of the Gendarmerie Maritime on Ministry of Interior French only Forum anciens Gendarmes Maritimes French only