French Navy Rafale Ms In Combat

Designed as a state-of-the-art warplane capable of carrying out the entire spectrum of combat missions, the Dassault Rafale omni-role fighter has matured into a successful combat tool that has pushed the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air) and French Navy (Marine Nationale) into the digital age. Recently, the Rafale has proven itself in combat with both the French Air Force and Navy. Rafale Ms flying from the deck of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle have contributed to the global fight against terrorism in the Arromanches III mission.

The Arromanches III mission was the last for the Charles de Gaulle before her entry into dry dock for a major refit and a nuclear refuelling, which will keep her out of action until mid-2018. The deployment kept the French carrier air group extremely busy. According to open source data from the French parliament, the air group completed 484 offensive sorties, including 108 attacks, and delivered 177 bombs and cruise missiles. “Without taking into account the buddy-buddy refuelling missions, we logged nearly 500 sorties with remarkable regularity and with excellent reliability,” explained Capt ‘Jean’ (all surnames withheld on request), the commander of the Groupe Aérien Embarqué (GAé, embarked air group). “Our tasks included reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering flights, air interdiction missions and planned raids against previously and positively identified targets – with French assets only or as part of a multinational effort – and close air support missions, protecting friendlies on the ground, in Iraq and in Syria. “Standardisation, forged by regular participation in various NATO exercises all year long, especially in the Tactical Leadership Programme in Albacete, undoubtedly facilitates combat operations in these types of conflicts as part of a coalition. “We know each other very well, and we all work in a similar way, using common procedures.”

Flottilles 11F and 12F 

During Arromanches III, Flottilles 11F and 12F each deployed 12 Rafale Ms aboard the French flagship. The GAé also included two Flottille 4F E-2C Hawkeyes from Lann-Bihoué, two SA365F Dauphins and an SA319 Alouette III from Flottille 35F at Hyères and an NH90 Caïman of Flottille 31F, also from Hyères, bringing the complement to 30 aircraft. Commander ‘Alban’, the CO of Flottille 11F, explained: “The carrier’s senior aeronautical engineering officer was in charge of overseeing all Rafale maintenance. His mission was to ensure that enough assets were available at all times to carry out every single tasked mission. “Each Flottille maintained its own aircraft, but with some flexibility, allowing one unit to reinforce its sister squadron with a dedicated team of engineers, should the need arise.” Alban added: “For combat missions, pilots flew aircraft from one or the other unit, and every day we provided numerous waves of bomber-configured Rafales. Our goal was to have all the aircraft in the required configuration, with the correct fit for a given mission. “Equipment would include the active electronically scanned array [AESA radar]; the Rover [Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver] system to share a video stream with troops on the ground; the Fightacs digital kneepad to have quick and direct access to digital imagery and digitally annotated maps that showed points of interest; and the Damocles targeting pod for target surveillance, extraction of co-ordinates and laser spiking. “A further three, and sometimes four, Rafales were fitted with an in-flight refuelling pod under the centreline station for buddy-buddy refuelling. We also provided Rafales for intelligence-gathering missions with the Pod Reco NG reconnaissance pod. “Typically, our working day spanned 14-plus hours between the first and the last mission launches. All the missions were flown as part of a wide, multinational coalition, tasking being provided by an allied CAOC [Combined Air Operations Centre], which was under the operational control of the Combined Joint Task Force in charge of co-ordinating all air and land combat operations against Daesh [so-called Islamic State] in the whole theatre. “Missions and taskings were shared and deconfliction between combat patrols was carried out at CAOC level to maximize combat efficiency and reduce risks.”


Into combat 


As soon as the Rafales reached their allocated operating area, their pilots would first call the fighter controller on the ground or on board an AWACS. Then the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) would allocate them a combat air patrol orbit and an altitude block to ensure deconfliction would be guaranteed horizontally and vertically with the multiple assets – bombers, fast jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – waiting to be relieved. “We were there when the battle for Mosul began,” said Commander Alban, “and each time we approached the city we could see on our screen all the aircraft holding, waiting their turn to be allowed to proceed towards the area where the fighting was taking place. “Seen from our position [it was a] rather small area, the size of a large town. As soon as a patrol was returning to base the JTAC would call in the next one to ensure there was always enough firepower available. “There were always a lot of friendlies in the vicinity, all around, above or below us: US Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses, F-15E Strike Eagles, A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and Reaper drones, RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornets, British Tornados and Typhoons, and F-16 Fighting Falcons drawn from various countries… “Thanks to the Link 16 data link, we knew at the flick of a switch what weapons and what remaining fuel the other aircraft in the network had. Pretty neat and very useful. “After we checked in and completed the authentication procedure, the JTAC provided us with a sitrep [situation report], an accurate description of the tactical situation in the area. “When we weren’t too busy, in the rare periods of relative calm when fighting abated, we performed armed overwatch, trying to determine where fires were coming from in an effort to locate Daesh firing positions. Easier said than done.” Each offensive patrol comprised two bomber-configured Rafales, the first fitted with four or six 500lb (227kg) GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs (LGBs) and the second with four to six Hammer (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) precision weapons. One of the pair also carried a Damocles targeting pod under the right forward fuselage hardpoint. Pilots could therefore handle all sorts of situations, achieving a variety of military effects thanks to different types of bomb bodies and multiple fusing options. Three types of bomb body were used by the French Navy during Arromanches III: the 500lb BLU-111, the 250kg (551lb) Corps de Bombe à Effets Multiples Sécurisé (CBEMS, multiple effects insensitive bomb body) and the 500lb BLU-126, which contains less explosive mass than a regular BLU-111 or CBEMS to reduce the risk of collateral damage. “The mission leader routinely flew the aircraft equipped with the Damocles,” said Alban. “Before each engagement during a fire support mission, we received via the radio a ‘nine-line’ – a standardised briefing with attack data, including target co-ordinates, the attack heading and the type of weapon approved by the Red Card Holder, a French officer in the CAOC who can veto the engagement if he thinks conditions for a safe fire are not met, especially if friendlies are too close to the target area. “Having an officer able to step back and think about safety issues is clearly an advantage in some conditions. It’s very efficient and the Red Card Holder remains a major asset to minimize the risk of friendly fire.”

Robust tanking plan.

Because of the long transit distances, Charles de Gaulle’s Rafales depended on tanker support. Late last year the tanker fleet in the Middle East was extremely varied and French Navy Rafales were refuelled by an array of assets drawn from multiple air arms. They included French Air Force (Armée de l’Air) C-135FR Stratotankers, US Air Force KC-10 Extenders and KC-135R Stratotankers, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) KC-30s, Italian Aeronautica Militare KC-767s and Luftwaffe A310s. “I never took fuel from a Royal Air Force A330 Voyager, although they were there too,” noted Flottille 11F’s CO. “About 80% of the tankers we refuelled from belonged to the ever present C-135FR/KC-135R family, either US or French. “Each time, we requested a ‘fill to full’, expressing our fuel requirement over the radio in pounds. Various diversion options had been prepared, but all had their own logistical drawbacks. “Thankfully diversions for tanking/ tanker issues were extremely rare. The in-flight refuelling plan produced by the CAOC was always remarkably robust. “Nevertheless, the tasking was often modified in response to changes in the mission or to use available extra fuel from the given tankers. The end result was that we often had to refuel from the tanker of the previous slot, which had additional kerosene to transfer, before heading back to base.”




Multiple targets.

Many targets were destroyed by French Navy Rafales before the start of the battle for Mosul, including improvised explosive device (IED) and vehicle-borne IED (VBIED) factories. During the battle itself, targets were mainly mortar emplacements, sniper positions and VBIEDs on the move. “I clearly recall a very intense mission during the battle for Mosul,” said Commander ‘Marc’, commanding officer of Flottille 12F. “I was flying as the wingman of a two-ship. The weather was marginal at best, with numerous thunder cells. “Communications with troops on the ground were difficult. The JTAC wanted a PID [positive identification] of the target. It took a while to do so, because my leader had to wait for a hole to appear in the cloud base to lock on the target and identify it with his Damocles pod and extract accurate co-ordinates.  “The hole quickly disappeared, however, and I had to fire a Hammer precision weapon at those co-ordinates through the clouds. “Shortly afterwards, the weather started to improve again and my leader dropped a GBU- 12 at a second target. It was a very dynamic mission, with two successive engagements.” Flottille 12F’s CO recalled another mission: “At dusk we were asked to destroy a heavy mortar emplacement carefully hidden in the middle of a palm grove. Accurate mortar firing had stopped the progression of friendlies and quick action was required. “This time I was the leader and my aircraft was fitted with a Damocles. The weather was good and infrared imagery proved decisive in accurately locating the target: the pod’s infrared sensor clearly showed a hotspot that marked the location of the mortar’s hot barrel below the palm trees. “I immediately started spiking the target for a GBU-12 bomb. On the multifunction screen displaying Damocles imagery I clearly saw the impact of the bomb and a huge secondary explosion betraying the destruction of the ammo stored nearby. “The friendlies were soon able to move forward again.”




Surveillance duties.

During the two-and-a-half months of the deployment, weather had an impact on the Rafales for fewer than ten days. “The RBE2 radar’s high-resolution mapping mode [also known as synthetic aperture radar, SAR] is highly useful when the weather starts deteriorating,” explained Commander Marc. “It allows us to identify points of interest using radar imagery and to confirm that what we’re looking at is really what the JTAC wants us to look at, to avoid errors linked to the use of wrong co-ordinates. “For example, in Mosul, major roads and the bridges over the Euphrates River can clearly be seen on the radar screen.” The French carrier air group launched numerous reconnaissance missions as part of the coalition effort to gather intelligence: “The Rafale’s Pod Reco NG works remarkably well,” explained the GAé commander. “Thanks to its ability to photograph and map a huge area while providing extremely high-resolution imagery, it’s truly in a class of its own.




It was during Arromanches III that the first laser-guided variant of the Hammer family (known as the SBU-54) was fired in combat by the French Navy – although an opportunity to fire the powerful internal 30M791 30mm cannon did not arise during the deployment. Capt Jean explained: “Firing on co-ordinates is extremely efficient, but against targets on the move the Laser Hammer gives us formidable offensive capabilities to overcome the tactics developed by Daesh. “After each attack, [their] warfighters move very rapidly to try to avoid destruction and we have to be very fast to engage them: in this type of situation the Laser Hammer proves invaluable. “Daesh personnel have been constantly bombed for over two years now, forcing them to modify their tactics. As a result we also had to adapt our own tactics, exploiting to the full the capabilities of our fast jets to prevail on the battlefield. “The Laser Hammer variant also has the advantage of retaining the capability to hit recorded initial co-ordinates accurately should the laser guidance be interrupted by clouds, smoke or obstructions – something that’s clearly impossible with the GBU-12.”



Scalp firing.

Both the Armée de l’Air and the Marine Nationale (French Navy) fired large numbers of MBDA Scalp EG (Emploi Général, general purpose) stealth cruise missiles in the Middle East. Used against hardened targets of strategic value, Scalps deprive IS terrorists of any prior warning of an incoming strike: fighters operating at medium level to remain outside the range of light weapons and shoulder-launched missiles could be detected audibly before an attack with laserguided bombs – but the Scalp, which can be fired from hundreds of kilometres away, follows a very low-level attack profile. Commander Marc fired a Scalp at an undisclosed target in the Middle East: “I barely noticed the firing itself. It’s quite surprising for a weapon weighing about a tonne, but you can hardly feel the actual release; all unwanted attitude changes in pitch, roll and yaw are eliminated. “I shot the Scalp at night. I couldn’t see the horizon and I had no external references at all. It may be the reason why I did not notice any movement of the platform. For operations from the Charles de Gaulle, the Scalp is mounted under the centreline pylon, along the airframe’s longitudinal axis, which is probably the reason why there are no movements in roll. “In any case, the Rafale’s sophisticated flyby-wire controls are very efficient at erasing the airframe’s secondary effects, all induced aerodynamic effects being cancelled.”

Sharing airspace with the Russians.

Russian fast jets and combat helicopters were operating in force in Syrian airspace during Arromanches III, but every eff ort was taken to avoid close encounters. “The GAé’s mission was definitely not to establish a contact with our Russian opposite numbers,” pointed out Captain Jean. “In Syria, a kind of cohabitation was established between allied and Russian aircraft, with deconfliction ensured at command level between our respective headquarters. “Our pilots followed very strict guidelines to avoid potentially hazardous situations. The idea was quite simple: avoid contact at all costs so as not to find ourselves in a situation that could easily deteriorate and rapidly escalate. “This is where the RBE2 electronic scanning radar and its AESA antenna prove their immense value. Thanks to their extraordinary detection ranges, the pilot can see what’s going on far ahead, giving them time to anticipate and stay clear of Russian fighters. “The Rafales flying in Syria were predominantly fitted with the ASEA antenna. I noticed myself that use of the AESA is addictive and, once you’ve tried it, it’s difficult to come back to the older PESA (passive electronically scanned array) system.

Flying out of Jordan.

In late March, four French Navy Rafales deployed to the Middle East for combat operations from Jordan against so-called Islamic State at a time when the threat to French interests remained extremely high. They replaced a quartet of Armée de l’Air Rafales at the base, enabling the air force units to temporarily reduce their sustained operational tempo. The concept of a so-called ‘land-based carrier air group’ had already been successfully tested in 2008 when SEMs deployed to Kandahar in the fight against the Taliban. The withdrawal of the SEM and the switch to the ‘all-Rafale GAé’ has led both to a considerable increase in firepower and the survivability of offensive and defensive combat air patrols, helping missions to be planned and executed in non-permissive or denied environments. Moreover, the carrier can launch a much higher number of sorties with 24 Rafales than with a mix of Rafales and SEMs, as was the case until July 2016, the transition representing a major step forward for the Marine Nationale.




Resilience at sea and ground.

During two back-to-back deployments in 2016, the French navy air group completed 484 offensive sorties, including 108 attacks, and delivered 177 bombs and cruise missiles.



Courtesy of Marine Nationale and Air Forces Monthly.