All French Air Force articles – Page 2

  • Chinook Block II
    News

    France confirms interest in Chinook acquisition

    26 Feb 2020

    The French air force has finally confirmed a long-rumoured interest in acquiring Boeing CH-47F Chinooks for special forces missions and hopes to lease a pair of the tandem-rotor helicopters as a trial before making a purchase.

  • Rafale 640 c Dassault Aviation DrlTr2BXgAEIHP8
    News

    F3-R-standard Rafale gains key French approval

    11 Dec 2019

    France has declared initial operational capability (IOC) with the F3-R-standard Dassault Rafale fighter.

  • French KC-130J delivery - French air force
    News

    France receives its first KC-130J tanker

    23 Sep 2019

    The French air force received its first of two Lockheed Martin KC-130J tankers at Orleans-Bricy air base on 19 September. The remaining example is planned for delivery in 2020, the airframer says.

  • Rafale SCALP-EG - Dassault
    News

    Anglo-French cruise missile project hits latest target

    21 Mar 2019

    MBDA has cleared a key milestone on its path to developing an Anglo-French successor for its current Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missile and AM39 Exocet anti-ship weapon, with the receipt of bilateral approval to advance into its definition phase.

  • Mirage 2000N - Joris van Boven
    News

    PICTURE: France retires last Mirage 2000Ns

    3 Jul 2018

    The French air force has retired the last of its Dassault Mirage 2000Ns, closing a 30-year service life that totalled more than 350,000 flying hours. Three specially liveried examples took part in a ceremony at Istres air base on 21 June to mark the milestone.

  • News

    Adapted Falcons to meet French air force EW need

    1 Mar 2018

    ​Dassault will adapt a trio of Falcon business jets with Thales mission equipment for operations with the French air force, after Paris selected the combination for its "Epicure" airborne electronic warfare (EW) requirement.

  • French C-130J - French air force
    News

    France receives first C-130J transport

    2 Jan 2018

    ​France's first Lockheed Martin C-130J was delivered to its Orléans air base on 22 December 2017.

  • France A400M tanker - DGA
    News

    France welcomes first tanker-equipped A400M

    5 Dec 2017

    France has taken delivery of its first Airbus Defence & Space A400M equipped with underwing hose-and-drogue refuelling pods, edging its air force closer to introducing a new tactical tanker capability.

  • News

    France speeds PC-21 deliveries

    20 Sep 2017

    France appears to have accelerated the delivery of 17 Pilatus PC-21 high-speed turboprops which will operate as trainer aircraft for its air force.

  • French C-130H - French air force
    News

    French Hercules upgrade enters avionics testing

    19 Sep 2017

    A modernisation programme for the French air force's Lockheed Martin C-130H tactical transports has passed an early milestone, with Rockwell Collins having installed its Flight2 avionics suite in a system integration laboratory in Toulouse.

  • A330 MRTT France - Airbus Defence & Space
    News

    PICTURE: First Phénix tanker rises for France

    8 Sep 2017

    ​Airbus Defence & Space has moved a step closer to delivering an A330 multi-role tanker transport to the French air force, after flying its first example on 7 September.

  • E-3F - Boeing
    News

    Avionics upgrade to boost French AWACS fleet

    31 Jul 2017

    An avionics upgrade will enable France's Boeing E-3F airborne warning and control system (AWACS) fleet to remain operationally relevant until at least 2035, the nation's DGA defence procurement agency says.

  • Rafale Scalp-EG - Dassault
    News

    France, UK advance deep strike weapons study

    28 Mar 2017

    France and the UK have launched a three-year programme to advance the replacement of their current inventories of air-launched cruise missiles and anti-ship weapons, to enter use around the end of the next decade.

  • PC-21 France - Pilatus
    News

    French air force, Qinetiq confirmed as PC-21 buyers

    4 Jan 2017

    Pilatus has announced a trio of orders for its PC-21 turboprop trainer, with the commitments totalling 21 units.

  • A400M sand - Airbus D&S
    News

    Video: A400M carries out sand strip landing tests

    24 Aug 2016

    Airbus Defence & Space has carried out flight testing of its A400M transport on a specially prepared sand runway during certification demonstrations in Woodridge, UK.

  • Rafale - Dassault
    News

    Dassault details Rafale deliveries

    22 Jul 2016

    Dassault delivered seven Rafale fighters during the first half of 2016, with its production backlog for the type now standing at 76 aircraft.

  • Mirage 2000D v Mali - French MoD
    News

    French air force Mirage 2000Ds to receive mid-life upgrade

    21 Jul 2016

    France’s DGA defence procurement agency has contracted Dassault to provide a mid-life upgrade to 55 of the French air force’s Mirage 2000D ground-attack aircraft.

  • News

    France receives first A400M with tactical capability

    22 Jun 2016

    ​Airbus has delivered its first A400M capable of conducting tactical tasks such as the airdrop of supplies, with the French air force accepting the tactical transport on 8 June. Other new features include the addition of cockpit armour and defensive aids system equipment, plus clearance for the Atlas to transfer ...

  • Typhoon Rafale - Crown Copyright
    News

    Fighter exercise concludes Anglo-French Griffin Strike

    25 Apr 2016

    Four French air force Dassault Rafale Cs and eight Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons deployed to RAF Leeming in mid-April for Exercise Griffin Strike. The manoeuvres were intended to validate part of the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) component of the bilateral Lancaster House Treaty, signed in 2010.

  • FCAS mock up - BAE Systems
    News

    New $2.2 billion Anglo-French FCAS phase announced

    8 Mar 2016

    ​France and the UK are set to launch a new project under their Future Combat Air System (FCAS) effort that will see unmanned air vehicle prototypes developed under a newly announced £1.54 billion ($2.19 billion) agreement.