Mayors and councillors from 128 towns in eastern France plan to resign en masse to protest against the closure of an army base, one of dozens shutting under President Nicolas Sarkozy's military reforms, a mayor said Wednesday.

Municipal politicians in the Moselle region decided to step down on July 16 and stage a strike in the administrative offices of the 128 towns, said Fernand Lormant, the mayor of Dieuze and instigator of the revolt, on Wednesday.

Sarkozy last month unveiled a new defence doctrine that calls for major cuts to the armed forces, with the savings reinvested in intelligence and technology, and France's return to NATO's integrated command, which it left in 1966.

The list of base closures is set to be announced later this month and Sarkozy has promised to provide financial support to towns hard-hit by the economic impact of the reform.

With a population of 3,600 people, Dieuze is to lose 1,800 soldiers and personnel of the 13th regiment of dragon paratroopers, which will be merged with another unit in the Bordeaux region, according to Lormant.

On a visit to a Paris area base, Defence Minister Herve Morin suggested the mayors should wait for a formal announcement on the closures before taking action.

"He is resigning perhaps without the full knowledge of this dossier," said Morin.

The defence minister earlier this month reminded the military of its duty to obey orders after a group of senior officers openly criticised Sarkozy's new defence strategy in a newspaper commentary.

The officers, who called themselves "Surcouf", said the plan lacked coherence and would significantly reduce France's military might.