Light infantry

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For other uses, see Light infantry (disambiguation).
Portuguese Army light infantry (caçador) of the Peninsular War


History of the light Infantry



Modern Age







Contemporary Light Infantry Forces

Today the term "light" denotes, in the United States table of organization and equipment, units lacking heavy weapons and armor or with a reduced vehicle footprint. Light infantry units lack the greater firepower, operational mobility and protection of mechanized or armored units, but possess greater tactical mobility and the ability to execute missions in severely restrictive terrain and in areas where weather makes vehicular mobility difficult.

Light infantry forces typically rely on their ability to operate under restrictive conditions, surprise, violence of action, training, stealth, field craft, and fitness levels of the individual soldiers to address their reduced lethality. Despite the usage of the term "light", forces in a light unit will normally carry heavier individual loads versus other forces; they must carry everything they require to fight, survive and win due to lack of vehicles. Although units like the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) and the 82nd Airborne Division are categorized as Air Assault Infantry and Airborne Infantry respectively, they fall under the overall concept of light infantry.


During the Falklands War in 1982, both Argentina and the United Kingdom made heavy use of light infantry and its doctrines during the campaign, most notably the Argentine 5th Naval Infantry Battalion (Argentina) and 25th Infantry Regiment (Argentina) and the British Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade. Due to the rocky and mountainous terrain of the Falkland Islands, operations on the ground were only made possible with the use of light infantry because the use of mechanized infantry or armour was severely limited by of the terrain, leading to the "Yomp" across the Falklands, in which Royal Marines and Paras yomped (and tabbed) with their equipment across the islands, covering 56 miles (90 km) in three days carrying 80-pound (36 kg) loads after disembarking from ships at San Carlos on East Falkland, on 21 May 1982.

During the 1990s, the concept of purely light forces in the US military came under scrutiny due to their decreased lethality and survivability. This scrutiny has resulted in the Stryker Brigade Combat Team, a greater focus on task organized units (such as Marine Expeditionary Units) and a reduction of purely light forces.


Modern Light Infantry Units

Light Infantry in Different Countries




The 7 battalions are composed of:

  • Two battalions of mechanized infantry
  • Two battalions of motorized infantry
  • Two battalions of light infantry
  • One battalion of paratroop infantry




Main article: Jægerkorpset




Chasseurs from a light infantry regiment of Napoléon's Grande Armée

The light infantry was organised in France in the 1.

Ancient régime


The name Chasseurs à pied (light infantry) was originally used for infantry units in the French Army recruited from hunters or woodsmen. Recognized for their marksmanship and skirmishing skills, the chasseurs were comparable to the German Jäger or the British light infantry. The Chasseurs à Pied, as the marksmen of the French army, were regarded as elite light companies and regiments.[2] The first unit was Jean Chrétien Fischer's Free Hunter Company in 1743. These units were often a mix of cavalry and infantry. In 1776 all the Chasseurs units were re-organized in six battalions, each one linked to a cavalry regiment (Chasseurs à cheval). In 1788, the special link between infantry battalions and cavalry regiment was broken.

Revolution and Napoleon

In 1793, the Ancient Régime Chasseurs battalions were merged with volunteers battalions in new units called Light Infantry Half-Brigades (demi-brigades d’infanterie légère). In 1803, the half-brigades were rebranded regiment. These units had three battalions of three regular Chasseurs companies, one elite Carabiniers company and one reconnaissance voltigeurs company.

Imperial Guard

In Napoléon’s IImperial Guard, many units used names linked to light infantry :

  • Chasseurs à pied regiments : three regiments (1809-1815 ; 1815-1815 ; 1815-1815). The regiments were the elite of the light infantry regiments.
  • Fusilier-Chasseurs regiment : originally the first Guard Fusilier Regiment (1809-1815)
  • Voltigeurs regiments : 16 regiments, originally two regiments of Tirailleurs-chasseur and two regiments of Conscrits-chasseurs (1810-1815), then twelve new regiments (1811-1815). These regiments were expected to became Chasseurs à pieds regiments.
  • Flanqueurs-Chasseurs regiments : two regiments, from drafted Forest Service members (1811-1815 ; 1813-1815)

XIXth Century

Light Infantry

The Napoléon-type Light Infantry regiment existed till 1854, but with very few differences from the line infantry regiment, so the 25 remaining light infantry regiments were transformed in line infantry in 1854.

Chasseurs à pied

The Duke of Orléans, heir to the throne, created in 1838 a new light infantry unit, the Tirailleurs battalion. It soon became, under the name Chasseur à Pied, the main light infantry unit in the French Army. The number of battalions grew up steadily through the century. The current Chasseurs battalions drew their lineage form this unit.

Chasseurs alpins

Some of Chasseurs à pied battalions were converted to specialized mountain units as Bataillons de Chasseurs Alpins in 1888, as an answer to the Italian Alpine (Alpini) regiments stationed along the Alpine frontier.

Chasseurs Forestiers

The Chasseurs forestiers (Forest Huntsmen) were militarized units of the Forest Service. They were organized in companies. The Chasseurs forestiers existed between 1875 and 1924.


The Zouaves battalions and regiments were colonial troops, formed originally by Algerians, then by European settlers and colonists. The first Zouave battalion was created in 1831 and changed its recruiting to Europeans in 1841.


Tirailleurs (Skirmishers) were light infantry who formed a shallow line ahead of the line of battle during the Revolutionary/Napoleonic Wars and subsequently. The name was also used for the locally recruited colonial troops in the French Empire between 1841 and 1962.

XXth Century

Chasseurs à pied

The Chasseurs à pieds evolved during the mid-XXth century into mechanized infantry units (Chasseurs mécanisés) or armored division infantry (chasseurs portés). After World War Two, all Chasseur units were organized on the mechanized infantry model.

Chasseurs alpins

The Chasseurs alpins' became the only mountain warfare units in the French Army in 1945.

Chasseurs pyrénéens

The Chasseurs pyrénéens were the short-lived (1939-1940) mountain warfare units formed in the Pyrénées.


The Chasseurs-parachutistes were airborne infantry units formed in 1943 from Air Force infantry compagnies transferred to the Army.

Zouaves and Tirailleurs'

After the independence of the countries that made up the French Colonial Empire, the Zouaves and the Tirailleurs units, save for one, were disbanded.

Modern French Army Light Infantry

Although the traditions of these different branches of the French Army are very different, there is still a tendency to confuse one with the other. For example, when World War I veteran Léon Weil died, the AFP press agency stated that he was a member of the 5th "Regiment de Chasseurs Alpins". It was in fact the 5th Bataillon.


Main article: Jäger (military)


Of the 28 Infantry regiment of the modern Indian Army, the following 10 are designated as "Rifles". They are distinguished by their black rank badges, black buttons on their service and ceremonial uniforms and also a beret which is a darker shade of green than the other regiments. Apart from these two paramilitary forces: the Assam Rifles and the Eastern Frontier Rifles, also follows the traditions of the rifle regiment.

Rajputana Rifles
Garhwal Rifles
Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
1st Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment)
3 Gorkha Rifles
4 Gorkha Rifles
5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)
8 Gorkha Rifles
9 Gorkha Rifles
11 Gorkha Rifles



Basic training ("Tironut"):

  • Non-combat soldiers are trained as Rifleman 02.
  • Combat-support troops are trained as Rifleman 03.

Advance training ("Imun Mitkadem"):

Additional training for combat soldiers:

  • Combat class commanders are trained as Rifleman 08.
  • Combat Senior Sergeants are trained as Rifleman 10.
  • Combat officers are trained as Rifleman 12.


Italian Rifle units were designated Cacciatori or Bersaglieri.

The Netherlands




Main article: Caçadores



In the 1950s, the title "Caçadores" was also given to the light infantry battalions and independent companies responsible for garrisoning the Portuguese overseas territories. Colonial troops with this title were recruited from both Portuguese settlers and from the indigenous populations in each overseas territory.



In 1975, the designation "Caçadores" was discontinued in the Portuguese Armed Forces. All former units of caçadores were redesigned as "Infantry".



The Rhodesia Regiment had an affiliation with the King's Royal Rifle Corps since World War I. The regiment's badge was the Maltese Cross, the colours were red, black and rifle green and rifle green berets were worn. A private soldier had the title of "Rifleman".


  • Vânători de Munte, or "Mountain Huntsmen" comprised elite units of the Romanian infantry prior to 1945.


The Imperial Russian Army, which was heavily influenced by the Prussian and Austrian military systems, included fifty Jäger or yegerskii [егерский] regiments in its organisation by 1812, including the Egersky Guards Regiment. These regiments were disbanded in 1917-18.


Spanish Riflemen were designated as Cazadores.


United Kingdom

A historical reenactment with the British 95th Rifles regiment.



The rank of Rifleman instead of Private was officially introduced in 1923.[3]

United States

In 1808, the United States Army created its first Regiment of Riflemen. During the War of 1812 three more Rifle Regiments were raised but disbanded after the war. The Rifle Regiment was disbanded in 1821.


Riflemen were listed as separate to infantry up to the American Civil War.[4]



References and notes

  3. "About the Royal Green Jackets". Retrieved 6 June 2011. 

Further reading

External links