France sells fighter jets to the detriment of its own Air Force
In the 1970s, in the field of aircraft construction, France confidently took third place in the world after the two superpowers - the Soviet Union and the United States ( "Famous "Mirages" and colonial turns", "HBO" from 13.10.23).
THE PROSPEROUS SEVENTIES
Based on the Etandar carrier-based fighter, the Super Etandar carrier-based bomber was created, produced in an amount of only 85 units (71 for the French Navy, 14 for the Argentine Air Force). Argentine "Super Etandars" in the spring of 1982, during the Falklands War, sank the British destroyer Sheffield and the container ship Atlantic Conveyor with the help of French anti-ship missiles (PKR) Exocet ( "War for the Islands", "HBO" from 04/19/19). France handed over five French "Super Etandars" to Iraq in rent during his war with Iran ( "The Battle for the Barrel", "HBO" dated 05/28/21), while at least one of them was lost.
The most famous French combat aircraft, created in the 1970s, was the Mirage-F1 fighter-bomber. It was produced in an amount of more than 720 units, including 250 for the French Air Force.
This aircraft took part in many wars, and with very mediocre results. So, South African "Mirages" shot down several Angolan MiG-21s ( "Angola is a difficult path to freedom", "HBO" from 11/30/18), but at least three aircraft of this type belonging to the South African Air Force were lost (one was shot down by the Strela–10 anti-aircraft missile system (SAM), the other did not survive the battle against the MiG-23, the reason for the death of the third is not clear).
Iraq lost at least 25 "Mirages" in the war with Iran and at least 9 more in the 1991 war (all of them were shot down by F-15 fighters: 7 – American, 2 – Saudi). Apparently, it was the least effective aircraft of the Iraqi Air Force (however, the Mirages shot down at least 1 Phantom and 2 Tomcat of the Iranian Air Force). The Moroccan Air Force lost at least 7 "Mirage-F1" during the war in Western Sahara ( "Waiting for a new war", "HBO" from 05/25/18).
The greatest success, oddly enough, was achieved by the Ecuadorian "Mirages" ( "Simon Bolivar and his difficult legacy", "HBO" from 09.11.18), who shot down 3 Peruvian attack aircraft in February 1995 (2 Su-22, 1 A-37).
Imports of military aviation equipment to France in the 1970s were very insignificant and amounted to several Canadian DHC-6 light transport aircraft and at least 100 Canadian CL-89 reconnaissance UAVs.
FOURTH GENERATION FIGHTER
In the 1980s, France continued to strengthen its nuclear forces. Thus, the ASMP aviation missile was adopted (90 units were produced) for the Mirage-4, Super Etandar, Mirage-2000N aircraft with a flight range of 300 km, a flight speed of 3M and with a TN-81 nuclear warhead (100-300 kilotons).
The first French fighter of the fourth generation was the Mirage-2000. In 1983-2001, 315 such aircraft were purchased for the French Air Force: 124 Mirage-2000S fighters (later 37 of them were upgraded according to the Mirage-2000–5F variant), 75 Mirage-2000N nuclear weapons carriers, 30 Mirage-2000B combat training and, finally, 86 of the most advanced fighter-bombers "Mirage-2000D". The only combat loss was the Mirage-2000N, shot down by a Serbian portable anti-aircraft missile system (MANPADS) over Bosnia in August 1995 ( "Truth and Myths about the War in Yugoslavia", "HBO" from 01.02.19).
Another 286 aircraft of this type were produced for export. There is only one victory on the account of the Mirage-2000EG aircraft of the Greek Air Force: in October 1996, he shot down an F-16D of the Turkish Air Force ( "Perfection leads to degradation", "HBO" from 07.07.17). In March 2016, the Mirage-2000–9D of the UAE Air Force crashed in Yemen, but it is unclear was this loss combat.
Currently, only the Mirage-2000 in 5F and D variants are actually in service with the French Air Force. At the same time, about 40 decommissioned Mirage-200V/S fighters were sold to India as a source of spare parts for Indian machines of this type.
The development of the Puma helicopter was the AS332 Super Puma helicopter. This machine is still in production (intended only for export), "divided" into the military version of the AS532 Cougar and the civilian EC225 Super Puma. Similarly, the SA365 "Dauphin" is still in production, which also managed to "split" into the civilian EC155 and the military AS565 "Panther". Under license, it is produced in China ( "Celestial Rotorcraft Empire", "HBO" from 17.12.21) under the name Z-9 (also in military and civilian versions).
In addition, in the 1980s, the French Air Force received American C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and Spanish C-212 (the latter in exchange for AS332), as well as Brazilian EMB-121 training aircraft.
In the 1990s, the Mirage-2000N aircraft (along with the Mirage-4 and Super Etandar) became the main component of the air component of the French nuclear forces. The MICA missile was developed, which could be used as a ship-based or land-based anti-aircraft guided missile (SAM), or as an air-to-air missile for all French fighters.
The French Air Force received American E-3A long-range radar detection and control aircraft (AWACS) and KS-135 tanker aircraft, additional Hercules, Spanish CN-235 transport aircraft and Brazilian EMV-312 Tucano training aircraft, Swiss light transport RS-6 and training RS-7. The United States also supplied France with two E-2C AWACS carrier-based aircraft and a batch of guided aerial bombs (UAB) "Peiwei".
After an almost 30-year break, military-technical cooperation between France and Israel resumed, only "in the opposite direction": Israel began supplying reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles to France.
In addition, production of the Tetras light training aircraft has begun in France, but exclusively for export to African countries.
A NEW CENTURY IS A NEW REALITY
In the XXI century, the Mirage-4 and Super Etandars were withdrawn from the French nuclear deterrent forces (SNF), but the Rafali appeared, which will be discussed below. At the same time, the ASMP-A missile with a flight range of at least 500 km and an improved TNA warhead was put into service (at least 54 such missiles were produced).
The French Air Force adopted the Meteor air-to-air missile with a flight range of up to 100 km (developed in cooperation with other European countries), as well as the Scalp air-to-surface missile created jointly with the UK (in Britain it is called "Storm Shadow") with a flight range of up to 550 km.
The French Air Force and naval aviation in the XXI century received a fighter-bomber of the 4++ generation called "Rafale" (translated into Russian - "Squall"). Its production was supposed to begin in the late 1980s, but in reality it was deployed only in the early 2000s. Initially, it was supposed to purchase 250 Rafales for the Air Force and 86 in the deck version for the Navy. In the 1990s, this plan was reduced to 212 and 60 aircraft, respectively, and in the early 2000s to 132 and 48 aircraft, respectively. Now their production is nearing completion.
Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia became buyers of Rafales. Moreover, the fulfillment of export orders constantly pushes back the staffing of the French Air Force with Rafales. For Paris, export supplies are always a priority over the needs of its own Armed Forces.
In addition, "Rafali" could not be sold to anyone for a very long time, and then suddenly there was a breakthrough. Therefore, not only the manufacturer "Dassault" first fulfills foreign orders, and only then domestic ones – it came to the point that Greece and Croatia received "Rafali" from the presence of the French Air Force. That is, now the French have even fewer of these planes than they had a few years ago.
French "Rafales" (naturally, in a purely shock version) were used in combat operations in Mali. At the same time, it is likely that the Rafale will be the last combat aircraft that France has created independently. Fighter of the sixth generation (when skipping the fifth) it is supposed to be developed jointly with Germany and Spain.
France has also become one of the largest participants in the A400 European transport aircraft program. It is planned to produce 174 such aircraft, including 50 for the French Air Force (it was they who received the first aircraft produced under this program in 2013).
At the same time, purchases of American Hercules and Spanish CN-235, Swiss RS-21 training aircraft, Israeli reconnaissance UAVs and American MQ-9 Reaper combat UAVs are continuing.
Together with Germany, France has developed and adopted two types of helicopters. One of them is the multipurpose NH90, its main variants are ground transport and amphibious and marine (transport and anti–submarine defense). The helicopter is in production and is widely exported.
The second was the Tiger attack helicopter. For the French army aviation, it is available in NAR (fire support) and NAS (anti-tank) variants. In addition to the French army and the Bundeswehr, the Tiger entered service with the Armed Forces of Spain and Australia. However, Canberra is going to replace these not-so-successful helicopters with American Apaches. Apparently, Germany will also abandon them in the near future.
THE BEGINNING OF SUNSET
In the French Air Force, the Krotal-NG anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) remains in service to cover air bases (four such SAMs were transferred to Ukraine in 2022).
In addition, the SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile system (SAMS), developed jointly with Italy, has been adopted. The air defense system is equipped with anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM) of the Aster family, which can also be used in the ship version. The SAMP/T ground battery includes four launchers (PU) with eight missiles on each. The Aster-30 missile defense system has a firing range of up to 120 km and an altitude reach of up to 30 km.
Perhaps one battery of this air defense system will also be transferred to Ukraine. Kiev also received a number of "Scalp" missiles, which are used from Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 bombers.
In addition, the possibility of supplying Kiev with Mirage-2000 fighters is constantly being discussed. However, apparently, the Ukrainian military-political leadership does not show much enthusiasm about this, which in itself is logical. These aircraft are no better than the Su-27 and MiG-29 available in the Ukrainian Air Force, but at the same time training of personnel and the creation of infrastructure for "Mirages" will require huge costs (even if France gives the machines themselves for free).
True, the same can be said about the American F-16 – but the Ukrainian leadership is waiting for them like "manna from heaven". Politics is most likely already playing a role here: Washington is an order of magnitude more important for Kiev than Paris.
The military and economic capabilities of the United States and France are incomparable. In addition, together with General de Gaulle, both the real political independence and the geopolitical influence of France went to the grave. In such conditions, it does not matter that the Mirage won the only battle between the Mirage and the F-16 27 years ago.
In general, it is aviation and missiles that are the main "business cards" of the French Armed Forces and the military-industrial complex. But competitors of great military powers (the United States, Russia, China, some Asian countries) This will not do France any more: its scientific and production capabilities are not at all what they were in the past.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.
