French air force.
French air force This article explores the top military aircraft in the French Air Force. A few of the remaining German C-160 were fitted with the self-protection suite called ESS. Find out how France contributes to international security and alliances such as NATO. It was disbanded in 2016. Each milestone in the French Air Force evolution underscores its growing significance in both national and global military dynamics. Since September 2013, the The French roundel gave rise to similar roundels for other air forces. And starting June 1959 the remainder of the Thunderstreaks started to leave the French Air Force; nos 1 and 9 Wing were disbanded, Escadre de Chasse no. With over 40,000 personnel, 520 aircraft, and more than 41 satellites, the French Air Force is among the world's strongest forces. Find out the types, variants, and numbers of military aircraft in service in the French Army, Navy, and Air and Space Force. Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily the primary operator. The country plans to operate eight by 2030. Aug 11, 2020 · The French Air Force received the first of two light surveillance and reconnaissance planes it had ordered from the U. OF-7 Général de division aérienne: Air division general: In command of a division. They consist of four military branches – the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force, and the National Gendarmerie. Operations with the Mirage 2000-5 fighter are scheduled to conclude during 2029, while a recently Two French Air Force Rafale fighter jets crashed on the border between the Vosges and Meurthe-et-Moselle regions in… By Clement Charpentreau. Two. Towards the end (provisionary) of the new Escadre of the French Air Force, the 3 e Escadre was dissolved on June 23, 1995. It is an organic command (commandement organique) which prepares units to carry out their missions, but does not have an operational role itself. [27] Twenty of these aircraft were delivered to Turkish Air Force in 1971 as C-160T. Mar 30, 2025 · The official French Air Force of Maréchal Pétain (called Armée de l’Air de Vichy) had to fight the Allies in Syria and Senegal but was defeated by the United States during the North Africa Landings in November 1942. [2] The French Air and Space Force must be expeditionary, capable of rapid deployment and sustained operations far from home bases. Colomb-Béchar: BA 145 fr:Base aérienne 145 Colomb-Béchar: Colomb-Béchar, French Algeria Disestablished March 1967. 624939 - 5. Formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Ar May 7, 2020 · The official French strategy for deployment of tactical air units, issued on March 31, 1937, spoke grandly of the Armée de l’air’s ability to choose whether to attack the enemy air force, army or navy, and whether to do so either with or without the cooperation of other arms, and referred to attacks on enemy centers of production and The number of aircraft in service with the French Air and Space Force varies depending on the source; the Ministry of Armed Forces gives a figure of 658 aircraft in 2014. Interoperability is another cornerstone, especially within the framework of NATO and European Union initiatives. Feb 24, 2025 · A French Air Force Rafale F3R fighter jet on display at the Dubai Airshow 2023 (Breaking Defense) BELFAST — France’s defense minister has called for Europe to “accelerate our rearmament French Air Force / Armée de l'Air - Organization. Jun 19, 2023 · The French air force operates its Rafale B/Cs along with two other Dassault-built combat types. S. No es hasta la Asamblea nacional francesa del 21 de marzo de 1912 cuando la entonces llamada Aéronautique militaire queda integrada oficialmente en las fuerzas armadas y se dota a las mismas de un arma aérea. The French Air and Space Force is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Feb 29, 2024 · The French Ministry of Defence published a retrospective of the activities of the Air and Space Force during 2023, with particular focus on international deployment and efforts to restructure operational control under the Commandement de la Défense Aérienne et des Opérations Aériennes, Air Defense and Air Operations Command (CDAOA) through the Altaïr plan. It supersedes the Joint Space Command, which was created in 2010. He said that: “The French have a lot of experience using what are called dirt strips in Africa but have no experience with ice rinks. The Air Forces Command (French: Commandement des Forces Aériennes (CFA)) is a command of the French Air and Space Force. In 2025, the force will receive twenty-one new aircraft, significantly advancing France's military aviation and transport capabilities. Learn about the history, organization, and aircraft of the French Air Force, the air arm of France. . The latter were a mixture of captured Japanese aircraft as well as British Spitfire and American-made Bell P-63A Kingcobra fighters, German trimotor The Tricolore cockade of the French Air Force was first used on military aircraft before the First World War [1]. Two Alpha jets of the French Air force's aerobatics display team collided near Saint-Dizier in This listing allows you to trace back a particular nation's aviation history in reverse-chronological order. Crotale Missile the Air Defense Ground-to-Air Battery « Tursan » in 2013. Disclaimer. 11, it became the French Air and Space Force, completing a process initiated by President Emmanuel Macron in July 2019 when he announced the The French Armed Forces (French: Forces armées françaises, pronounced [fɔʁs aʁme fʁɑ̃sɛːz]) are the military forces of France. manufacturer Beechcraft to carry out intelligence missions. [3] [4] According to 2018 data, this figure includes 210 combat aircraft: 115 Dassault Mirage 2000 and 95 Dassault Rafale. The air force there was reconstituted in 1946 from personnel and aircraft already in Indochina. On Sept. Return to the Modern Aircraft Index. In 2000 the air force decided to modernize its structures which had become very Oct 17, 2024 · The French defense budget 2025, presented on October 10, 2024, aligns with the Military Programming Law (LPM) adopted in 2023, ensuring a structured enhancement of the Air and Space Force's fleet. Air Forces Command. According to [1], the paints used by the French were not necessarily of very good quality, hence heavy weathering is implied. Jul 15, 2024 · As the French Air Force engaged in global conflicts, such as the Gulf War and various missions in Africa and the Middle East, it displayed its adaptability and commitment to international security. 2 (Winter 1975). Project Air 2010 was the heart of a proactive approach, which ended January 1, 2008, for a streamlining of the command organisation aimed at: Apr 13, 1993 · Base aérienne 701 Chemin de Saint-Jean 13661 SALON-DE-PROVENCE AIR (+33)4 13 93 82 00. List is in alphabetical order by manufacturer or designer. French Algeria Sétif Ain Arnat BA 144 Base aérienne 144 Sétif Ain Arnat ou Base Alat 101: French Algeria Transferred to Algerian Armed Forces control 1962. "French Air Force Camouflage and Markings of the 1938-1940", IPMS-USA Quaterly Journal vol. Mar 15, 2025 · One of the Royal Danish Air Force C-130J test pilots who helped train the French for their certification trials was Major BOF from the Air Transport Wing at Aalborg Air Force Station. Escadron de détection et de contrôle aéroportés 36 Berry at BA 702 [2] [4] The following surface-to-air missile squadrons (EDSA) have been attached to BACE since September 1, 2007: [5] Escadron de Défense Sol-Air 1/950 Crau; Escadron de Défense Sol-Air 2/950 Sancerre French English translation OF-9 Général d'armée aérienne: Air army general: In command of an air force. Find out how it evolved from a service arm of the French Army to an independent military branch, and what aircraft and satellites it operates. The number of aircraft in service with the French Air Force varies depending on source, however sources from the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace): The French Air and Space Force is responsible for aerial and space operations, including fighter aircraft, bombers, transport planes, and space assets. 10), die im Commandement des opérations spéciales integriert ist, die There are a total of [ 26 ] Active French Air Force Aircraft (2025) entries in the Military Factory. The latest contract brings the total The French aeronautics industry has accompanied the French Air Force since its creation on July 2, 1934, today known as the Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (AAE) after encompassing space in 2020. In March 2007, three French Air Force and three navy Rafale fighters were deployed in Tajikistan in support of the Nato International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Jan 12, 2024 · The Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and the French Air Force in 2006, and has seen action in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria. A major restructuring took place in March 1994 when all flying units under the AdlA were organised under five different The French Space Command (French: Commandement de l'Espace, CdE) is a formation of the French Air and Space Force, which deals with space issues. It´s successor of the ´COUTEAU DELTA´, flying the Mirage 2000D Patch comes from my private collection and has hoo Sep 15, 2020 · PARIS — The French Air Force is no more. Jun 14, 2024 · The Air and Space Force unit of the French Armed Forces was formed in 1909 and became an independent military branch in 1934. Escadron de Chasse (Fighter Squadron) 3/11 Corse is a French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) fighter squadron currently stationed at BA 188 Djibouti Air Base (ICAO: HDAM). The Royal Thai Navy—consisting of several vessels, including two coastal defence ships, twelve torpedo boats and four submarines—was inferior to the French naval forces, but the Royal Thai Air Force held both a quantitative and qualitative edge over l'Armee de l'Air. Consisting of some sixty thousand men, with artillery and tanks. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of different colours. The early development of both services took place under the stress of the war of 1914-18. Aug 22, 2016 · The French air force was the world's largest and most powerful when the Great War ended in 1918. The National Guard serves as the French Armed Forces' military reserve force. Now Ain Arnat Airport. In this chapter, the development of the French air force is described. French military aviation was born in 1909. See the details of combat, transport, trainer, and UAV aircraft, as well as their origins and orders. Fighter Aviation Air Force Brigade (French: Brigade Aérienne de l'Aviation de Chasse (BAAC)) 2nd Fighter Wing (French: 2 e Escadre de chasse), recreated on September 3, 2015, at BA116 Luxeuil-Saint Sauveur Air Base, operates Dassault Mirage 2000-5F air defence fighters Apr 13, 1993 · The Air and Space Force Academy's Special Course (CSEA) is particularly representative of its openness to the world: since 1973, more than 500 African officer cadets, mainly from French-speaking countries, have studied at the Academy. Aircraft of the French Air Force and Naval Aviation during the Phoney War and the Battle of France, and aircraft of the Free French Air Force (FAFL). 1 The average fleet age is based on our own calculations and may differ from other figures. Nov 29, 2015 · The French Air Force during the Indochina War was employed primarily as a ground-support force. [5] Production aircraft for the West German Air Force; 110 were built. [1] The squadron is composed of three historic escadrilles , C46, SPA 69, and SPA 88, dating back decades and with many historical traditions. 11 no. The service currently counts 511 total units in its active aircraft inventory. The French Air and Space Force (French: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, pronounced [aʁme də lɛʁ e də lɛspas], lit. The three squadrons of the « 3 » evolved towards their actual aircraft, the Mirage 2000D. 111652 The ´RAMEX DELTA` was the French Air Forces Mirage 2000N Tactical Display Team. Mar 25, 2025 · French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu gives a press conference at the German Ministry of Defence. Now Boudghene Ben Ali Lotfi Airport: Berlin The French Air Force/Armée de l'Air has begun phasing out two Falcon 2000LX jets used for state VIP transport. The WDMMA review takes into account specific categories of aircraft covering attack, logistics, special-mission, and general support types. By 1966 the Armee de l’Air had disposed of all of its F-84Fs. This has been evident in operations like those in Mali and Libya, where air power played a decisive role. Le site officiel de l'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace présente son histoire, ses missions, ses aéronefs et ses actualités. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933. References. Learn about the history, organization, and missions of the French Air and Space Force, the air and space branch of the French Armed Forces. It is headquartered at Bordeaux-Mérignac Air Base. Apr 14, 2025 · The Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (French Air and Space Force) has declared operational the Mirage 2000D RMV (Rénovation Mi-Vie, Mid-Life Update) aircraft, marking the near conclusion of the Apr 24, 2025 · The French Air and Space Force simultaneously conducted two high-profile exercises demonstrating its operational versatility and strategic reach. There are a total of [ 344 ] France Aircraft List (Current and Former Types) entries in the Military Factory. The Free French Air Forces (French: Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres, FAFL) were the air arm of the Free French Forces in the Second World War, created by Charles de Gaulle in 1940. Only supported aircraft types that are active with this airline are included in the calculations. The French Air Force is the air force of the French Armed Forces. Although not a separate service, it nonetheless enjoyed a certain prestige for its excellent BFSA, ou Brigade des forces spéciales air rassemble : l'escadron de formation des commandos de l'air, le commando parachutiste de l'air n o 10, le commando parachutiste de l'air n o 30, l'escadron de transport 3/61 Poitou et l'escadron d'hélicoptères 1/67 Pyrénées. The first ALSR aircraft, a militarized version of the King Air 350, was received on August 5, 2020. GPS : 43. Luftwaffenbrigade der Sicherungs- und Eingreifskräften (Brigade aérienne des forces de sécurité et d'intervention (BAFSI)) – enthält die Luftwaffenspezialkräfte (commandos parachutistes de l'air, 3 Einheiten: die eliteste Commando parachutistes de l'air N° 10 (CPA. Jan 16, 2025 · In December 2024 the French DGA confirmed that it had received the 14 th and final Rafale scheduled for delivery in the year, representing the 26 th aircraft in a batch of 39 airframes intended to be delivered to the French Air and Space Force by 2025. Découvrez la nouvelle vision stratégique du chef d'état-major, les expérimentations de l'A400M, les missions BUBO 25 et les engagements de l'AAE dans le monde. Art Loder & Karl Rosenlof, 1975. 34万人。 The French Air Force (French (French pronunciation: [aʀme də lɛʀ]), literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. While one operation tested the force’s ability to disperse combat aircraft rapidly across the French mainland without prior notice, the other projected French air power into northern Europe in Dec 6, 2024 · Learn about the French Army, Navy, Air and Space Force, and the National Gendarmerie, and their equipment, budget, and modernization initiatives. The designation ceased to exist in 1943 when the Free French Forces merged with General Giraud 's forces. Aug 2, 2021 · The Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (French Air and Space Force) recently completed a test campaign in Djibouti for the Mirage 2000D in the new RMV (Rénovation Mi-Vie/Mid-Life Upgrade) standard. C-160F Production aircraft for the French Air and Space Force; 50 were built. OF-8 Général de corps aérien: Air corps general: In command of an air force corps. Dada la fecha de 1909 en que nace la aviación militar francesa, sería el primer país [cita requerida] que se equipa con aviones de combate. The list is not complete and includes obsolete aircraft used for training as well as prototype and pre-production aircraft. French Airforce of World War 1. Jun 30, 2021 · The French Air Force, in the context of the evolution of national defence ensures the evolution of its know-how. Cazaux Air Base (French: Base aérienne 120 Cazaux) (ICAO: LFBC) is a French Air and Space Force (French: Armée de l'air et de l'espace) base. The Armée de l'Air (literally, 'army of the air') is the name used for the French Air Force in its native language since it was made independent of the Army in 1933. The 3/3 conducted the last flight on Mirage IIIE of the French Air Force on March 12, 1993. OF-6 Général de brigade aérienne: Air brigade general Historical associations bind the Royal Air Force and the French air force closely together. In particular how the Armee de l’Air has been completely reorganized in recent years. In 1943, the Free French Air Forces and the Vichy Air Force were reunited and equipped by the Allies. [1] Apr 3, 2020 · The first Rafale F3 was delivered to the French Air Force in 2008. Dec 1, 2024 · The following represents an overview of the modern aerial fighting capabilities of the French Air Force (2025). See photos of its bases, former and active planes, and aerobatic team. It is The official French Air Force of Maréchal Pétain (called Armée de l’Air de Vichy) had to fight the Allies in Syria and Senegal but was defeated by the United States during the North Africa Landings in November 1942. [27] C-160P Air Force Despite a number of disbandments and reorganisations, which took place following the end of the Cold War, the French Air Force (Armée de l' Air) is still a very sizeable air force equipped with modern aircraft. August 15, 2024. 法国空天军，其前身为法国空军（法语：Armee de l 'Air，简称ALA，英语：French Air Force），法国空军在1909年成立，初名“航空勤务队”，当时隶属于法国陆军，于1933年成为一个独立的军事部门。2020年9月法国空军更名为法国空天军。法国空天军操作658架各式机种，有约8. It ensures air superiority and contributes to space activities. After the approval of the law by the French National Assembly on 29 March 1912, French Military Aeronautics became officially part of the French Army, alongside the four traditional branches of the French Army, the infantry, cavalry, artillery, and engineers. Apr 20, 2025 · Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) information. As part of this transition, a first Falcon 900EX EASy was inducted in December 2024, ch-aviation research has revealed. The French Government ordered 60 additional Rafale aircraft in November 2009. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order (1-to-Z). 4 converted to the Mirage IIIE. The base is located in the village of Cazaux, part of the town of La Teste-de-Buch , and is approximately 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Bordeaux . Camouflage Colour Chart for French Aircraft by T-Stoff Research. A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. ' Army of Air and Space ') is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. srijd qxjaum yrh ltv ctfbcb wkhbyee zjd qndsupq znqjj xda fpzdf emmytlm csqs gjmqzhpwf emlq