[5][6] The French Air and Space Force has 225 combat aircraft in service, with the majority being 117 Dassault Mirage 2000 and 108 Dassault Rafale. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Air traffic controllers are trained at the Center of Control Instruction and Aerial Defense (French: Centre d'Instruction du Contrôle et de la Défense Aérienne). On 1 July 2000 was placed into effect an organization consisting of « RA North » (RAN) and « RA South » (RAS). From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. It is supported by bases, which are supervised and maintained by staff, centres of operations, warehouses, workshops, and schools. In a statement, the Air and Space Force said given “the vital implications for military operations,” France had defined space as being “a major stake” for its strategic independence, and so the Space Command — locally known as CDE, or Commandement de l’espace — was created on Sept. 3, 2019. Both in France and abroad, bases have similar infrastructure to provide standardised support. The reserve element of the air and space force consisted of 5,187 personnel of the Operational Reserve.[8]. Spain receives first of 12 new combat search-and-rescue helicopters, Turkey-Ukraine work on missile engine could open the door to tech transfer, Canadian block on drone parts shows Turkey’s defense industry still not independent, Belgium is Oshkosh’s newest light tactical vehicle customer, France orders beefed-up NH90 choppers for special operations. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the original file.

After the approval of the law establishing it by the French National Assembly on 29 March 1912, French military aeronautics officially became part of the French Army, alongside the four traditional branches of the French Army, the infantry, cavalry, artillery and engineers. The French Air Force was active in Algeria from 1952 until 1962 and Suez (1956), later Mauritania and Chad, the Persian Gulf (1990–1991), ex-Yugoslavia and more recently in Afghanistan, Mali and Iraq. The first use of national insignia on military aircraft was before the First World War by the French Aéronautique Militaire which mandated the application of roundels in 1912. Aircraft of the French Air Force include:[33], Since the end of the Algerian War, the French Air Force has comprised about 17 to 19% of the French Armed Forces. The CEMAA is assisted by a Deputy Chief, the Major Général de l'Armée de l'Air. [28], Commanded by a lieutenant-colonel, the Escadron is the basic operational unit. The logo features a thin, curved line that runs above the word “armée” and then behind the word “air… Money Minute: Student loan repayment and consolidation. A Transport Escadron (French: Escadron de Transport) can theoretically count a dozen Transall C-160, however, numbers are usually much less for heavier aircraft (three Airbus A310-300 and two Airbus A340-200 for the Transport Escadron 3/60 Estérel (French: Escadron de Transport 3/60 Estérel)). Légifrance, base CDEF(R), numéro R3224-8, Code de la Défense, Art. [19] According to Defense Minister Florence Parly, France reserves the right to arm French satellites with lasers for defensive purposes. The Mirage demonstrated its abilities in the Six-Day War, Yom Kippur War, the Falklands War, and the Gulf War, becoming one of the most popular jet fighters of its day, selling very widely. Flying activity in France is carried out by a network of bases, platforms and French air defence radar systems. In 1994 the Commandment of the Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air was reestablished under a different form. Directorate of Human Resources of the French Air and Space Force; Operational Center for Military Surveillance of Space Objects (, Analysis and Simulation Center for Air Operations Preparation (, Air Force Operational Awareness and Planning Brigade (, Satellite Observation Military Center 01.092, The Integrated Structure of Maintaining Operational Conditioning of Aeronautical Defense Materials (, units (escadrons or groups) generally equipped with the same type of aircraft or at least assuring the same type of mission. [28] The problems caused by having the aircraft maintenance units not responsible to the flying squadrons they supported eventually forced the change.