France uses a ration called the “Ration de Combat Individuelle Rechauffable” (Combat Ration Individual Reheatable), or RCIR. A single ration contains 3200 calories and is intended to provide the nutritional needs for one soldier for one day. RCIRs are delivered in boxes of 12 rations. A single pallete of RCIRS will contain 20 boxes or 240 RCIRs.

There are 14 menus in all and they are divided into two types:

• Menus without pork, numbered from 1 to 7
• Menus with pork, numbered from 8 to 14

Here’s a look at the disposable folding stove included in each RCIR. Also included are 6 esbit fuel tablets and matches.

  Each RCIR meal box contains two ready-cooked entrees, one appetizer, one package of instant soup, cheese spread, salted and sweet crackers, breakfast kit, sugar, energy bar, chocolate bar, chewing gum, caramels, hard candies, multipurpose paper towels, water purifying pills, and a reheating kit (matches, fuel tablets, and a disposable folding stove).

While searching the Internet for information about French rations, I’ve read a number of comments from people saying that the French rations contained a small bottle of wine. While this may have been true in the 1990’s or earlier, what what I’ve seen of the current (year 2000+) ration, no wine is included.

Some soldiers have reported that the trading value of RCIRs when on exercise with MRE eating troops is 1 RCIR for 5 MREs on average. In Somalia, a crate of RCIRs would get you a US field cot.

 

RCIR Menus

Here’s a copy of the RCIR menus from the back of a ration box. The menu is printed in French and English on the box.

 

French RCIR Menus – 2004

2004 RCIR Stats

• Optimal age limit for use: 2 years minimum
• Energy value: 3200 kCal
• Variety: 14 different “menus”, of which 7 contain no pork (sans porc*) and 4 may be consumed without heating
• Weight/Size: 1500g (3.3 lbs), 294L x 149W x 63H (11.6″ x 5.9″ x 2.5″) cardboard box in plastic wrap
• Cost each to Ministry of Defense (1/1/04): 7.04€
• Assembled by: ESCAT of Angers (an automated chain)

 

Menu #	Hors d’oeuvre	Main dish A	Main dish B
1*	Tuna paste	North African chicken stew	Tuna and potatoes
2*	Salmon paste	Salmon, rice and vegetables	North African lamb stew
3*	Mackerel paste	Parisian chicken	Duck, olives and potatoes
4*	Chicken liver paté	Sauté of rabbit	Whitefish, rice and vegetables
5*	Tuna in sauce	Basque chicken	Squid “Armoricaine”
6*	Sardines	Lamb stew with beans	Chicken with spring vegetables
7*	Mackerel in sauce	Stewed lamb “Navarin”	Tuna salad
8	Duck mousse	Alsatian pork stew	Pork and lentils
9	Venison terrine	White bean, sausage and duck casserole	Creole pork with rice and pineapple
10	Traditional pork paste	Pork with vegetables	Basque duck and vegetable soup
11	Forest terrine	Stewed pork and potatoes	Sausage and sauerkraut
12	Ham paté	Pork salad	Paella
13	Hare paté	Veal, tomato, and olive stew	Sweet and sour pork
14	Rabbit paté	Sausage and lentils	Beef salad

Each box includes: Main meals x2, Hors d’oeuvre, Soup, Cheese or a Crème dessert, Salted and Sweet crackers x16, Chocolate bar, Package of caramels, Gum, “Breakfast package” (Tea, Coffee, Cocoa, Milk powder, Sugar, etc), Nougat bar, Fruit gelee, Sugar cubes, Paper towels x10, Heating kit with fuel, disposable stove, waste bag and water purification tablets x6, etc.

Though this info was taken directly from the “official” site in February 2008, I have new or differing menu items manufactured in 2006 that do not appear above, and show a “Use Before” date of 3 and 4 years after manufacture.

Everything tastes pretty good, though the squid was a bit rubbery.

Thanks to Bruce Shervey for the updated 2004 menu information!

 

French RCIR Menus – 1999

Menu #	Hors d’oeuvre	Main dish A	Main dish B
1	Chicken in Jelly	Beef Salad	Tunny Potatoes
2	Salmon Paté	Salmon Rice Vegetables	Shepherd’s Pie
3	Mackerel Paté	Stewed Beef	While Veal Stew
4	Chicken Liver Paté	Sauté of Rabbit	Chile con Carne
5	Tuna in Sauce	Paella	Stewed Veal “Marengo”
6	Fish Paté	Mutton Stew Flageolets	Stewed Chicken
7	Mackerels in Sauce	Stewed Lamb “Navarin”	Lasagnes
8	Duck Paté	Tuna Salad	Pork and Lentils
9	Liver Paté (Pork)	Earthenware-Dish “Cassoulet”	Cannelloni
10	Pork Paté	Pork and Greens	Stewed Beef and Carrots
11	Pork Paté and Mushrooms	Stewed Pork and Potatoes	Stewed Beef “Bourguignon”
12	Pork Ham Paté	Pork Salad	Seafood “Risotto”
13	Pork Paté	Chicken and Greens “Parisienne”	Sweet and Sour Pork
14	Tuna Fish Paté	Sausage and Lentils	Cockered Stewed in Red Wine

Includes; Main Meals, Snacks, Soup, Cheese, Crackers, Chocolate, Candy, Gum, Many Beverages (Tea, Coffee, Creamer, Sugar, etc), Heating Kit, Matches, Water Purifiaction Tablets, Paper Towels, etc.

 

French RCIR Menus – 1995

Menu #	Hors d’oeuvre	Main dish A	Main dish B
1	Tuna Fish Paté	Beef salad	Tunny potatoes
2	Salmon Paté	Salmon rice vegetables	Shepherd’s Pie
3	Potted Meat of Mackerel	Stewed Beef	Indian chicken and rice
4	Salt Beef in Mustard Sauce	Sauté of rabbit	Chile con carne
5	Tuna in Sauce	Paella	Stewed veal “Marengo”
6	Sardine Medaillons	Mutton Stew Flageolets	Stewed chicken
7	Marined Mackerels	Stewed Lamb “Navarin”	Chicken rice and ratatouille
8	Duck Paté	Coalfish and noodles	Pork and lentils
9	Liver Paté (Pork)	Earthenware dish “cassoulet”	Cannelloni
10	Potted meat of pork	Pork and greens	Stewed beef and carrots
11	Pork Paté and Mushrooms	Stewed pork and potatoes	Thin slice of chicken in sauce
12	Ham Paté	Pork salad	Seafood risotto
13	Pork Paté	Chicken and greens “parisienne”	Dish cooked potatoes “Dauphinois”
14	Tuna “Catalane”	Sausage and lentils	Moussaka (dish-cooked aubergines mutton)

Includes; Main Meals, Snacks, Soup, Cheese, Crackers, Chocolate, Candy, Gum, Many Beverages (Tea, Coffee, Creamer, Sugar, etc), Heating Kit, Matches, Water Purifiaction Tablets, Paper Towels, etc.

Original menu reference: http://page.freett.com/phototec/frncemenu.htm

 

“Practical Advice” (from the side of an RCIR box):

 

Soup Cereal bar Chocolate bar Chewing gum Instant cocoa Evaporated milk Coffee (freeze-dried) Stove, esbit tablets, matches Water purification tablet 1st entree 2nd entree Folding paper towels Crackers (salty/sweet) Appetizer Dessert Sugar/sweetener

Other French Rations

RILC The Ration Individuelle Lyophilisée Commando or Freeze-dried Individual Ration Commando is the freeze-dried ration for special forces. In this ration, all canned food is replaced by freeze-dried food.	RIE The “Repas Individuelle D’Exercice” is the French Training Ration – similar in intent to the U.S. military’s TOTM.	Ration De Survie (Survival Ration) This is the air version of the French Survival Ration.