Le premier "Red Flag" du Rafale
For the Air Force, two years after its official entry into service in Saint Dizier, summer 2008 will have an opportunity to measure for the first time the Rafale a very strong part in a war game of widespread in Nevada, this after a crossing of the American continent carried out after a crossing of the Atlantic via the Azores.
Planned for a year and a half, but Red Flag is to prepare the French Air Force to interoperability tactics. The Air Force regularly participates in Red Flag since 1981 and almost all its types of fighter planes are coming. This time, it was the turn of the Rafale, as a prelude to participation, this fall, Mirage F1CT/CR to Green Flag, an exercise of CAS likely smaller but the preparatory missions currently in Afghanistan.
Thus, from 07 to 22 August last, a detachment of four Rafale squadron Hunting 1 / 7 "Provence" by Saint-Dizier, accompanied by a C-135FR tanker, participated for ten days at the fourth annual session the Red Flag air exercise, test drive certainly the most decisive - just before the real war, they say - for a fighter pilot Western.
The detachment of 85 people, under the command of Colonel Philippe Poireault, head of the device, and Lieutenant Colonel Fabrice Grandclaudon, commanding the 1 / 7, included a total of fourteen drivers, six sailors, an intelligence officer and 39 mechanics working into two teams, one for flights a day and for night flights. In addition, there were commandos from the air responsible for the safety of aircraft.
Following the exchange following a squadron of a dozen days, made earlier on the basis of Luke in Arizona with the F-16 and the staff of the 309th fighter squadron from the USAF, Red Flag of the first french Rafale was designed to compare the experience gained over the past 2 years Rafale aircraft with weapons of same generation (so-called 4th generation): F-15E of the USAFE F-15K of the RoKAF, F-15 and F-16 Agressor, Su-30MKI for the Indian Air Force. Knowing that half of the french participants were involved in the theatre of Afghanistan in recent months.
The four Rafale, 1 / 7 (No. 317, No. 320,; No. 321, No. 325) were all two-seater standard F2 (very recent) with a capacity "swing role" and whose total 'simulated weapons consisted of Mica missiles IE / MS and weapons propelled guided AASM inertial / GPS. The missions were supported by SLPRM.
The Rafale B have made for ten days in Red Flag four sorties daily average 2 pm (1 day strike 1 night) within devices Attack (Blue Air) a fifty to sixty aircraft in general. This by daytime temperatures above 45 ° C almost identical to those suffered in Kandahar, Afghanistan. These temperatures were also more challenging for crews and mechanics for airplanes, power reserve off the M88 engine with a thrust provided comfortable from the missions, aircraft are routinely equipped with supersonic three bottles of 1200 litres to mimic a heavy configuration of war.
The primary concern of the Air Force coming to Nellis AFB with Rafale was first verify the proper integration of the aircraft and its systems in air devices allies dense and complex, including participation of aircraft electronic warfare EA-6B Prowler and F-16CJ for anti-radar.
For the general body of air Jean-Pierre Martin, commander of Air Force fighter, which has even participated in a recent missions Rafale B above the "range" of Nellis (the size of Switzerland!) During the August session of Red Flag, "" After a year and a half of implementation, the system is operational and has been used in operations demonstrating that the capacity of the aircraft are level. The Rafale has very well behaved and has fulfilled its part of missions, and even easily thanks to all the sensors and systems Data Link (Link 16) which is staffed. We can say that for the first time, unlike exercises previous Jaguar or Mirage F1 or 2000, the French Red Flag flying on a plane comparable generation that had nothing to envy those of their fellow Americans, Korean and Indian. " Given also profiles mission carried out on a theater full of threats ground-air and air-air, the Rafale was also well demonstrated its ability to penetrate enemy air defences through a system of very powerful weapons which the new AASM bomb is not foreign. Indeed, if the various participants have not been particularly impressed by the ability "swing role" Rafale - Su-30MKI, F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15K Slam Eagle have already - that is undeniably precision sensors Rafale and its air-ground weapons stand-off "who impressed the gallery. "On the Rafale the sensor fusion is an extraordinary concept that is very successful. There has never been diverging paths between the various sensors," said the commander of 1 / 7. The Rafale has been present in all the main missions of interest including at least two missions as "mission control" .. During the missions of "self escort" or "organic escort," the Rafale/F2 allowed to present the full panel of airlift capabilities of the new aircraft.
Questioned on the status of the logistics Rafale, Lt.-Col Grandclaudon pointed out that the logistics squadron operating in its computer network with BA113 Saint-Dizier (through the system Arpagon which sends satellite data techniques of each aircraft after each flight). allowed throughout Red Flag have an improved tracking spare parts avionnées. Now essentially curative rather than preventive this is a maintenance lean: it does not change what is necessary, what is more economical and allows projections logistical lighter ..
Nevertheless, the french pilots are high expectations of Damocles designation pods should be delivered next year, if everything goes well, and that many would like to have a day of a viewfinder helmet as have the Americans and Indians, a device originally scheduled on Rafale but abandoned for reasons of economy. The link 16 is greatly appreciated, along with Spectra, which is a very rich detection capabilities complementary radar RBE2. The OSF meanwhile, is unanimously pilots on its great usefulness in aerial combat. "This is a sensor which we will no longer happen now" was even noticed a master "because it gives us an advantage over the enemy discreet."
The Americans have them during the "mass debriefs," praised the accuracy of AASM. Each Rafale can now deal with six goals of a coup over a large area, each of 250 kg bomb with a coordinated and ballistic own. More importantly, through the Liaison 16, a Rafale can share flight plans with an airplane shooting spatially better placed. Each aircraft with additional pre-registered all the possible scenarios. So if a plane does not reach its goal another can take his followers and carry out the mission planned. This is a new weapon that could give the Rafale a real asset in the international arena.
A second squadron of Rafale, the squadron Bombing 1 / 91 "Gascogne", should be operational in Saint-Dizier by late next year. It will be called forward to implement cruise missiles dependent nuclear ASMPA with its Rafale F3 in the framework of deterrence and that from 2010.
Tradução automática francês/inglês.
http://www.ttu.fr/francais/Articles/rafaleredflag.html
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