Headquarters Rapid Reaction Corps – France Headquarters Rapid Reaction Corps - France ( HQ RRC - FR ) , created on 1 July 2005 , is a French headquarters , NATO certified , able to command a national or multinational land component of between 5 , 000 to 60 , 000 personnel . With more than 400 military coming from thirteen different nations , HQ RRC - FR is stationed in Lille , within a 17th - century citadel also known as " the Queen of the Citadels " , designed by the famous French Field Marshal Vauban . Reactive , flexible and open to the world , HQ RRC - FR is , par excellence , a purpose - built organisation , designed to handle the complexity of military operations of the early twenty - first century . Reactive . Following a detailed examination of its capabilities , the Headquarters Rapid Reaction Corps - France was certified " High Readiness Force " ( HRF ) by NATO in July 2007 . Only seven headquarters are certified as such in Europe . Once placed on alert , it is able to deploy reconnaissance teams to an operation area within two days , following a political decision to commit troops , and a light command post ( CP ) in less than ten days . Flexible . HQ RRC - FR is able to perform a wide variety of missions , ranging from an initial entry to stabilisation operations . It can be committed within a multinational environment , in the framework of NATO , European Union ( EU ) or even under a national mandate . Thus : Indeed , in the planning process of NATO - led operations in Afghanistan , NATO certified headquarters ( including HQ RRC - FR ) regularly contribute to ISAF rotations . Stabilisation operation : creating the necessary conditions for the normalisation of the situation , particularly in the field of security , and thereby enabling functioning state institutions . Open to the world . HQ RRC - FR completes the range of French Land Forces Headquarters . Its creation allows France to contribute according to its position and international commitments , while remaining consistent with the requirements of national security and defence , within the framework of the EU or NATO . A multinational headquarters subordinated to Land Forces Command ( LFC ) based in Lille , the HQ RRC - FR is open to all EU and NATO members ( 16 % of its strength ) . Though stationed in France , its working language is English . In crisis , French and Allied operational reinforcements would augment its strength up to 750 personnel , to enable HQ RRC - FR to conduct long term high intensity operations . Focus on … . Twelve contributing nations . In addition to France , HQ RRC - FR framework nation , twelve different nations contribute to the staff on a permanent basis , representing a total of 60 to 80 personnel . Everything is done to draw on the military experience of each nation . A constant exchange is facilitated by the use of English as a common working language . A 21st - century headquarters . HQ RRC - FR benefits from the best fibre - optic - equipped site among the French Army : about 300 km fibre deployed between and inside its 17th - century walls . There , are 18 ( French + NATO ) computer and phone networks . All of them can be projected , via satellite link to an operational theatre providing HQ RRC - FR with the capacity to command , if needed , an operation from its Citadel based Command Post , thanks to a rear Homebase Operation Center ( HBOC ) . As for now , HQ RRC - FR benefits from the sole French phone exchange directly connected to the NATO network . A 24 person - team is responsible for assembling , maintenance and operation on these networks , which offers HQ RRC - FR complete autonomy in this domain , compared to other headquarters . When deployed , HQ RRC - FR can use up to five thousand square metres of tentage , four hundred and fifty modular CP shelters , seventy kilometres of electrical cable , one hundred and twenty kilometres of fibre optics and sixteen hundred computers . A strategic crossroads . In between Paris , Brussels ( NATO and EU Headquarters ) , Mons ( SHAPE Headquarters ) and Strasbourg , ( European Parliament ) , HQ RRC - FR is ideally located towards key decision centres . It has been certified as a " High Readiness Force " ( HRF ) by NATO since 2007 .