www.defense.gouv.fr/air

THE F

RENC

H AI

R FO

RCE

03AIR FORCE SITES

04THE AIR FORCE mEmbERS

05AIRCRAFT IN SERVICE

01ROLE OF THE

FRENCH AIR FORCE

02COmmITmENT AT HOmE

AND AbROAD

Techniciens

de maintenance aéronautique

Opérateurs de drone Harfang

Pilote de combat

sur Mirage 2000

Fusillier commando en opération.Contrôleur de défense aérienne

A Hercules C-130 prepares to take off from Fort-de-France airbase on a mission in Haiti.

Mirage 2000 C turnaround underway following a flight assistance mission.

A Mirage 2000 C takes off to performan air defence mission above the Kourou Space Center.

A Mirage 2000 D takes off from Solenzara airbase during the Serpentex exercise.

Two Rafale aircraft on an escort mission to Abu Dhabi.

01 The Air Force is involved in all five of the strategic functions identified

in the F

rench W

hite Pap

er on D

efence

and Na

tional S

ecurity

(LBDSN

),

ensurin

g the de

fence a

nd sec

urity of

the cou

ntry on

a daily b

asis.

ROLE OF

THE FRE

NCH

AIR FOR

CE

01

Knowledge and Anticipation“Knowledge and anticipation constitute a new strate-gic function, a priority, and they are our first line of defence. They encompass every area of intelligence, including Space.”

The French Air Force makes a vital contribution to this “knowledge and anticipation” function. It takes part in strategic monitoring and operational support activi-ties. The Air Force uses the GRAVES system to carry out Space surveillance, an activity that will be of crucial diplomatic, economic and military importance in the fu-ture. Thanks to its Operations Center in Lyon, the Air Force, working within an interministerial and multina-tional framework, is capable of assessing threats to the country’s air space at any time.

Prevention“Prevention entails taking action to prevent the appearance or worsening of threats to national security.”

In this area, the French Air Force actively combats all forms of trafficking, illegal immigration and piracy.Its presence is felt all over the world. Its combat and transport aircraft and helicopters are permanently pre-positioned on airbases in Senegal, Chad, Gabon, Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates.

Deterrence“The credibility of deterrence relies on two complementary components, seaborne and airborne, with specific assets and methods of penetration.”

The airborne component is represented in the French Air Force by the “Forces Aériennes Stratégiques” (FAS – French Air Strategic Command), with the Mirage 2000 N carrying the ASMP medium-range air-to-ground missile. As of 2010, this aircraft is being phased out and replaced by the Rafale/ASMP-A combination. These air-craft are supported by ageing Boeing C-135 FRs, which will need to be replaced by Multirole Transport Tankers.France is the only European country with this inde-pendent capability, which plays a vital role in the country’s defence at a relatively low cost. The air-borne component only accounts for 13% of the cost of the nuclear deterrent.

A Rafale from the fighter squadron 1/91 “Gascogne”, carrying an ASMP-A missile.

A C-135 FR from the air-to-air refuelling squadron GRV 2/91 “Bretagne” seen landing.

Mirage 2000 N formation.

Mirage 2000-5in the United Arab Emirates.

Helios satellite.

A Mirage F1 CR in Africa.

A Harfang UAV in Afghanistan.

An E-3F AWACS in French Guiana.

Djibouti airbase.

4 5

01Protection

“The French Air Force deploys significant assets to protect French citizens against threats from the sky and from Space.”

Everyday, some 10,000 to 15,000 aircraft fly over France. Working within an interministerial framework, more than 1,000 members of the Air Force keep watch round the clock to detect and identify these aircraft. They also guarantee freedom of action for Government authorities and protect the country’s key facilities. Command and control (C2) resources, airspace and Space surveillance systems as well as interceptors, evenly distributed across airbases throughout the country, are all part of the permanent air security posture.In addition to this permanent mission, the Air Force is also called on in the event of natural catastrophes or industrial disasters to help those in difficulty and sup-port public health action. Other public service missions include providing assistance to aircraft in distress, contributing to anti-terrorist measures and helping to

fight forest fires. To give an idea of the scale of these operations, Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft took off 2,000 times in the past 12 months and provided assis-tance to 200 aircraft in distress. They flew on 130 search and rescue operations and saved twenty lives. The Air Force is responsible for coordinating and carrying out these actions.

Intervention“Intervention outside France remains the most impor-tant type of action (because it is the most demanding) for determining the size of our armed forces.”

French Air Force aircraft are deployed or ready to inter-vene in a wide range of operations, from humanitarian missions to combating terrorism. Fifteen hundred air force personnel are currently deployed on temporary missions. Based in 12 countries across the globe, they are particu-larly responsible for ensuring the operational readiness of thirty aircraft, including fighters, tanker aircraft, tactical transport aircraft, helicopters and UAVs.

ROLE OF

THE FRE

NCH

AIR FOR

CE

01

A Fennec helicopter in action during the floods that hit southern France.

A Hercules C-130 and Transall C-160 on the ground of Fort-de-France airbase.

Two Mirage 2000 C aircraft on patrol.

“Vigipirate” anti-terrorist patrol at Roissy CDG airport in Paris.

ASTER missile fired from a SAMP/T system. Air defence controller.

Fennec MASA helicopters in French Guiana.

6 7

02 COMMITMENT AT HOME AND ABROAD02“France’s armed forces need undisputed operational supremacy to face enemies.” The Air Force plays an important role in national security and is a vital strategic component of any joint military operations.Space surveillance

France is the only European nation equipped to assess the situation in Space, with Air Force radar equipment and

the GRAVES and SATAM systems detecting and tracking low-orbit satellites. A Space center will soon be opened at the Lyon-Mont-Verdun base. The center will merge all the sensor data received to provide extremely accurate daily

reports on the situation in Space. Known as COSMOS, the center will be the Joint Space Command’s (CIE) surveillance tool. The Air Force has been instrumental in helping France

reaffirm its Space surveillance capabilities alongside fo-reign partners (Germany and the United States).

Air-land OperationsWith a total strength of more than 700, the French Air Force’s

paratrooper commandos (CPA n° 10, n° 20 and n° 30) can be used in air-land operations (special operations for CPA n° 10).

Their action is geared towards the use of the third dimension: high-altitude-qualified paratroopers (High-Altitude Low-Opening,

High-Altitude High-Opening), Forward Air Control and Close Air Support and reconnaissance of rudimentary airstrips.

At the same time, the Air Force’s units deploy tactical transport aircraft and utility helicopters and train their crews

for special missions, such as airdropping personnel and equipment, combat search and rescue missions, tactical

landings and evacuating nationals.

Force ProtectionWith its land-based, medium-range, surface-to-air defence system (SAMP/T), the French Air Force has extended the concept of land-based air defence and is now able to combat all modern airborne targets, including tactical ballistic and cruise missiles. The SAMP/T system is thus capable of defending combat forces, airbases and key points against attack from the air. It also represents France’s contribution to the initial missile defence capability defined in NATO’s Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) programme.

ProjectionAccording to the French White Paper on Defence and National Security, the country must be capable of pro-jecting 1,500 troops over a range of 8,000 kilometers in less than five days.The Air Force’s current internal resources allow it to meet 25% of this objective. This figure will drop further as C-160 aircraft are phased out. As of 2013, however, the Air Force will begin to take delivery of 50 A400M transport aircraft and, with the help of the MRTT fleet, will be in a position to meet this objective in full.

Nuclear roleThe strike capabilities of France’s nuclear deterrent are being sustained and improved in a number of ways. This can be seen in the progress made in the ASMP-A missile programme, the operational fielding of this missile on Ra-fale aircraft in 1/91 “Gascogne” fighter squadron in Saint-Di-zier since July 1st 2010, and the phasing out of Boeing C-135 and KC-135 tankers in favour of multi-role tanker transport aircraft (MRTTs).These developments also respond to new nuclear security standards applying to storage and deployment. With its la-test equipment, the airborne nuclear component rises to the challenge of the new geostrategic situation.

Air Policing and Flight AssistanceAbout a thousand air force personnel are on duty 24/7, all year round, to fulfil the Air Force’s air se-curity mission. At present, eight Rafale or Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft, five armed Fennec helicop-ters, one C-135 tanker and one E-3F AWACS air-craft are ready to intervene within 15 minutes to guarantee the Government’s freedom of action throughout the country’s airspace. This force is modular and can be strengthened extremely ra-pidly for major events such as summits of heads of state and so on.In 2009, Air Force aircraft flew on nearly 700 air policing and flight assistance missions.

Airbus A310 taking off from Haïti.

ASTER missile fired from an SAMP/T system.

Rafale on an air-to-air refuelling mission.

Fennec on a mission to protect the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana.

An EC 725 Caracal in Afghanistan.

Surveillance satellite constellation.

8 9

Techniciens

de maintenance aéronautique

Opérateurs de drone Harfang

Pilote de combat

sur Mirage 2000

Fusillier commando en opération.Contrôleur de défense aérienne

Harfang UAV operators.

Fighter pilot on a Mirage 2000.

Fusilier commando in action.Aircraft maintenance technicians.

Air defence controller.

03Dijon

Villacoublay

Creil

Saint-Dizier

Paris

Bricy-Orléans

Metz

Ochey

Romorantin

Cinq-Mars-la-Pile Avord

Tours

Châteaudun

Cambrai

Reims

Lille

Taverny

Mérignac

Floirac

Brest

Bordeaux

Mont-de-Marsan

Cazaux

Istres

Nîmes

Varennes-sur-Allier

Salon-de-Provence

Orange

Cognac

Rochefort

Lyon

Mont-VerdunAmbérieu

La Valbonne

Évreux

Grenoble

Varces-Allières-et-Risset

Montlhéry

Brétigny

Saintes Clermont-Ferrand

PARIS - ILe-De-FRANCe

CLeRMONT-FeRRAND

ROCheFORT COGNAC

BORDeAux - MÉRIGNAC

MONT-De-MARSAN

ISTReSSALON-De-PROVeNCe

NîMeS ORANGe LAuDuN

LyON MT-VeRDuN

BOuRGeSAVORD

ÉVReux

CReIL

LILLe

TOuRS

CAzAux

Brest

DIjON

Ventiseri-Solenzara

Nancy Drachenbronn

Strasbourg

Cuers

Nice

Toulon

Draguignan

STRASBOuRGhAGueNAu

TOuLON

DRAGuIGNAN

ÉPINALLuxeuIL

LA VALBONNe

GReNOBLeANNeCy

ChAMBÉRy

VeNTISeRI-SOLeNzARA

NANCy

ORLÉANS BRICy

Overseas bases● Reunion● French Polynesia

Martinique● French Guiana● New Caledonia

Abroad bases Dakar (Senegal)

● Djibouti● United Arab Emirates● Gabon

Other Air locations

Airbases

Areas of Defence Air bases

Defence Air bases command

Closing of sites by 2012

ST-DIzIeRChAuMONT

MeTz

MONTLhÉRy

Luxeuil

03The

operati

onal str

ucture

of the F

rench A

ir Force

is built

on a net

work

of airba

ses. Th

ese are

all inte

rdepen

dent an

d mutu

ally com

plement

ary

to ensu

re ratio

nalised

use of r

esourc

es.

AIR FOR

CE SITES

AS OF 20

12

Defence BaseAirbases, which are the French Air Force’s actual combat units, are now grouped together in Defence Bases with other Ministry of Defence units. In this way, the resources of the different armed forces are pooled for common support and general administrative missions with a view to cutting operating costs. The money saved will be reinvested to procure new equipment and improve the conditions of defence personnel to enhance operational capability. The Defence Base Commander (ComBdD) reports to the Chief Of The Defence Staff.

AirbaseAn airbase is where all Air Force operational missions are prepared and from where they are carried out, whether they are permanent (e.g. permanent security posture, continuity of Government action) or temporary. To ensure that missions can be carried out without interruption, the airbase must be fully operational round the clock, ready for aircraft to land. The airbase is an administrative unit of the Air Force. As such, its Commander is the local representative of the Chief of the Air Staff (CEMAA).

12 13

04 04

Air Force PersonnelAs of January 1st of 2011, the French Air Force is made up of 51,000 military personnel and 7,400 civilians, ma-king a total of less than 59,000, with women accounting for 22% of this total. This figure represents 14.7% of the country’s defence personnel.Although aircrews (pilots, navigators, and flight engi-neers) account for only 7% of Air Force personnel, all members of personnel play an equally vital role in gua-ranteeing the success of Air Force missions. In fulfilling their duties in their unit of assignment, members of per-sonnel in each of the 50 available professions all play a part in Air Force missions at all times, in all places and in all theatres of operations.

Being in the Air Force today Working in the Air Force is not like doing any other job, nor is it a choice to be made lightly. The general status of military personnel highlights the specifics of life in the armed forces. In particular, military personnel must be prepared to take lives and lay down their own.Everyone must keep the notion of “service” in mind. The notion of group, cohesion, and “esprit de corps” must be among the core values of personnel involved in air operations.The airbase plays a crucial role in ensuring cohesion, as it is where personnel from different commands, di-

visions and departments must work together to carry out a common mission.

Air Force budget The Air Force budget for 2010 amounts to €8.02 billion, representing 21.6% of the Ministry of Defence budget. Of this amount, €2.5 billion is earmarked for equipment.

Reserve ForcesThe French Air Force looks to the Reserve Forces to provide back-up, to keep the spirit of defence alive and to help maintain the bond between the nation and its armed forces. The Reserve Forces consist of the Operational Reserve and the Citizens’Reserve.The first was set up to provide operational units with back-up and to carry out missions on home territory. As of Ja-nuary 1st of 2008, 5,800 contracts had been signed, with an average of 25 days’active service per year.The Citizens’Reserve was set up to promote and spread defence values. It plays a vital opinion leadership role with local authorities and the population at large.

THE AIR

FORCE M

EMBERS

Every s

ingle ai

rman, b

oth flyi

ng and

non flyi

ng, par

ticipate,

within

their sp

ecific fie

ld of

work, t

o the Fr

ench A

ir Force

mission

s. All of

those c

ontribu

ting to

the sup

port of

the

French

Air For

ce struc

tures, e

quipme

nt men a

nd wo

men, b

ring the

ir skills

to achie

ve the

organiz

ation w

ellbeing

. The qu

alities e

xpected

of the a

ir weap

on must

be deta

ined by

each an

d every

one, wh

ether t

hey use

the equ

ipment

or the

y suppo

rt it.

14 15

7, 400 civilians

7, 400 officers

300 volunteers

14, 400 enlisted military personnel

29, 400 NCOs

A C-160 aircraft landing in the desert of Djibouti.

05AIRCRAFT

PHOTOMISSIONS AND S

PECIFIC FEATURES

Rafale

FIG

HTE

R A

IRC

RA

FTThe Rafale is a mul

ti-role aircraft used for air superiority,

ground attack,

reconnaissance and nuclear deterren

ce. It carries air-to-air and cruise

missiles and new-generation precision

-guided munitions.

Mirage 2000-5 / CAir superiority airc

raft carrying air-to-air missiles.

Mirage 2000 D

This conventional ground attack aircra

ft can be equipped with various

weapons, including laser- or GPS-guid

ed, or conventional munitions and

cruise missiles.

Mirage 2000 N

Armed with the ASMP-A nuclear cruis

e missile, the Mirage 2000 N is

a nuclear strike aircraft and a key com

ponent in the French nuclear

deterrent. It can also fire conventiona

l air-to-ground munitions, laser-

guided or otherwise.

Mirage F1 CR / CT

Equipped with airborne sensors and a

reconnaissance pod, this

reconnaissance aircraft can fire conve

ntional air-to-ground munitions,

laser-guided or otherwise.

Drone Harfang D

RO

NE The Ha

rfang medium-altitude, long-enduran

ce (MALE) unmanned aerial

vehicle is used by the armed forces f

or reconnaissance and surveillance

missions. It can be used for intermini

sterial and public service missions.

E-3F SDCA

STR

ATE

GIC

CA

PAB

ILIT

Y

Airborne Warning and Control System

(AWACS). These four aircraft have

a 400km air detection range and 8 ho

ur endurance over the zone of

operations.

C-135 FR

On its main mission (air-to-air refuellin

g), the C-135 FR enables to extend

the range of four Rafale aircraft to 5,0

00km. It is also used for logistic,

freight transport and medical evacuati

on missions.

Airbus A340 TLRA

These aircraft are on long-term loan a

nd are used for very long-range

logistic and freight transport missions

. They are able to carry 44 t of

equipment or 279 passengers to 5,500

km.

Airbus A310

These aircraft are used for logistic and

freight transport missions. They

are able to carry 23,5 t of equipment o

r 209 passengers to 7,000km.

C-130 Hercules

TRA

NSP

OR

T A

IRC

RA

FT

This aircraft is used for tactical, logistic

and freight transport as well as for

special operations. It can carry 10 t o

f equipment or 120 passengers to

5,500km.

C-160 Transall

Tactical, logistic and freight transport

aircraft with air-to-air refuelling

capability for fighters or another C-160

. It can carry 4 t of freight

or 89 passengers to 4,400km.

CASA CN235/200This tactical, logist

ic and freight transport aircraft can ca

rry 3 t of freight

or 40 passengers to 2,000km.

FALCON

The Falcon is a light transport aircraft

that can carry 13 passengers

to 6,500km.

AIRCRAFTPHOTO

MISSIONS AND SPECIFIC FEATURESTBM 700This is a light transport aircraft that can carry 4 passengers to 2,000km.

EC 725

HEL

ICO

PTE

RS

Modern helicopter that has been optimized to carry out combat search and rescue operations. It is also used for utility and medical evacuation missions.

PUMA SA330SUPER PUMA The Puma is used on combat search and rescue operations, as well as public service and sovereignty missions.

FENNEC AS 555 The Fennec is a light, twin-turbine helicopter used for air defence and search and rescue missions. It also takes part in sovereignty and public service missions.

Alphajet

TRA

ININ

G A

IRC

RA

FT

The Alphajet is a French-German training aircraft used to train fighter pilots at the French-Belgian school for European pilots.

XINGU EMB 121This Brazilian twin-turboprop aircraft is used to train military transport pilots.

EPSILONThe Epsilon is a French-built, piston single-engine aircraft used for initial training and preparatory training for fighter pilots.

GROB 120The Grob 120 is a side-by-side, two-seater aircraft used for initial training and preparatory training for transport pilots.

SAMP/T

SUR

FAC

E-TO

-AIR

Medium-range, surface-to-air system equipped with ASTER missiles.CROTALE

Short-range, surface-to-air system.

AIRCRAF

T IN SER

VICE

05

18 19

Design & proDuction:Service d’information

et de relations publiques de l’armée de l’air (Sirpa air)

5 bis, avenue de la Porte de Sèvres75015 Paris

photos:Sirpa Air Photo Department

WO Thierry Labataille, WO Olivier Ravenel, WO Cyril Amboise, WO Richard Nicolas-Nelson, WO Anthony Jeuland.

EH 1/61 “Pyrénées”

http://www.defense.gouv.fr/air

e-mail: sirpa@air.defense.gouv.fr