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On April 24, 2018, the Luxeuil air base 116 welcomed several Mirage 2000N aircraft from the fighter squadron 2/4 “La Fayette,” as part of their farewell tour. After 30 years of service in the French Air Force, the strategic bomber, specialized in nuclear deterrence, will cease to serve the French armed forces in 2018. Squadron 2/4 “La Fayette,” which will now use Rafale aircraft, has organized a farewell tour, which stops at each of the bases where the Mirage 2000N aircraft have served. During this ceremony, Colonel Jean-Patrice Le Saint, commander of air base 116, also inaugurated the base’s museum,...

Just a breaking news banner and video at link: http://go.cnn.com/?stream=cnn Full title: French air force conducting major bombardment against ISIS targets in Raqqa, Syria, the French Ministry of Defense says. Watch CNNgo.

DURING the Battle of France in May-June 1940, French Army commanders complained that German aircraft attacked their troops without interference by the French Air Force. French generals and statesmen begged the British to send more Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter squadrons to France. Reporters on the scene confirmed the German domination of the skies, and the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Luftwaffe came to be accepted as one of the principal causes of the French collapse.1 The air force was a convenient scapegoat for the French Army generals who dominated the Vichy regime that ruled France under the Germans. By...

The French government plans to postpone $888 million worth of upgrades to its Mirage 2000D fighter-bombers as part of an effort to cut back spending. Defense Minister Herve Morin, speaking at a hearing this week of the Parliamentary Defense Committee, also said the government plans to delay acquisition of Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft and level-four of the SCCOA national air command-and-control system, according to a report from DefenseNews. According to defense sources, Morin told the committee that some elements of the Scorpion land systems modernization program also would be postponed but major programs, such as the Barracuda nuclear attack...

Six Indian Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, two IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft and a IL-78 mid-air refueller will be leaving for France for a joint air combat exercise with the French Air Force next month. The exercise, Garuda-IV, will be held at the Istres airbase in France from June 14 to 25. "The exercise will help to further enhance interoperability between the Indian and French air forces since pilots as well as the ground crew will get to see each other's operational, technical and administrative practices from close quarters,'' said an officer. The exercise comes at a time when India and France are all...

Expanding its ties with global air powers, the Indian Air Force will carry out air-to-air exercises with France and United Kingdom this year. "Firstly, the 'Garud' series exercise with the French would be held in France in June and the 'Indradhanush' series with the British Royal Air Force would be held at the Kalaikunda air base in West Bengal in October," Defence Ministry sources said here. At the fourth edition of the 'Garud', IAF will be represented by its air superiority Sukhoi-30 fighter jets and the Il-76 heavy-lift transport aircraft in the aerial wargames with France. "The Il-78 mid-air refuelling...

Rafale Strike Version Enters Operation With French Air Force By Michael A. Taverna 07/02/2006 11:22:38 PM SHOWTIME The Dassault Rafale F2 strike aircraft is poised to enter the French air force inventory, augmenting Europe's force-projection capability and opening a new chapter in the battle with rival U.S. and European manufacturers for lucrative foreign military sales contracts. The first F2 squadron stood up at the St. Dizier air base in eastern France last week, in the presence of a host of dignitaries led by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. The high-profile event underscored not only the operational and industrial importance of...