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Subject:
Rafale Back To Afghanistan
Softwar
2/11/2008 9:05:17 AM
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Rafale Redeploys
Aviation Week & Space Technology
02/11/2008 , page 19
The French air force is sending its Rafale F2 fourth-generation strike fighter back to Afghanistan, this time to Kandahar.
The air force moved its Mirage 2000D and Mirage F-1CR fighters from Dushanbe, Tajikistan, late last year in order to meet NATO demands for increased firepower in the southern provinces of Afghanistan and to reduce the workload on France?s overstretched tanker fleet. The French also have agreed to form an operational mentor liaison team in the southern part of the country, but have resisted sending back special operations forces withdrawn early last year.
Unlike during the Rafale F2?s baptism of fire last spring, the three aircraft in this campaign will be single-seaters?the first time the air force has used this version in combat. Airborne refueling, if required, will be from allied tankers. As before, the Rafale payload will consist only of four Paveway 2 GBU-12 smart bombs, guided by laser designators on Mirage 2000Ds or from ground TACP forces.
It had been hoped that the Paveways would be paired with France?s all-weather GPS-guided Armament Air-Sol Modulaire standoff weapon, which has ended qualification but has yet to enter operational use. Also still missing from the Rafale inventory are the Damocles laser designator pod, GBU-44 and Enhanced Paveway bombs, and digital Scarabee TACP data links, which program managers also are itching to try out on the new combat aircraft
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