I seem to be the only one asking, but I’ll keep bringing it up in the hopes of something coming about.

The issue of the Super Etendards off the CdG intrigues me so if anyone has any information on their use (mission profiles, payloads, targets, etc.) or even photos that would be appreciated.

Not much info out there. Here’s all I got – seems like 1x GBU-49, 1x 625L wing tank, 1x 600L belly tank, and 2x ECM pods. (Sort of strange that they’d go for 2x small tanks instead of 1x 1,100L underwing tank – but the picture isn’t great so maybe it’s actually a 1,100L tank).

😮

That bring back capability is seriously not impressive. SCALP is only 1250kg:(

Add at least one ton of fuel & one ton of other stores (4 AAMs, empty drop tanks etc), and that’s over 3 tons of bring back. In addition, Rafale’s max bring back has been demonstrated to be ~5.4 tons (15.7t landing weight), so there may be other explanations for the single SCALP configuration (for example, 2 SCALPs would bring take-off weight to 22.2t – right around Rafale’s max launch weight on CdG).

Somewhere in the Mediterranean

Pics just released of operations on Charles de Gaulle. Lots of noteworthy details for carrier nerds like me: 😉
It’s also extremely unusual for the rather secretive French MoD to provide such detailed high res pics, which makes it doubly interesting.

Notice the very dirty deck – CdG’s been at sea for 10 out of the past 18 months, and the hard running shows.
(the very visible rust stains on her hull raised some murmurs when she returned to port from her previous deployment a month ago)

The bow catapult seems to be preferred for E-2C launches, but I’ve never quite figured out why (it requires moving aircraft in the bow deck park)
Notice also the ladders used to access the Rafales’ cockpits. That’s unusual, because Dassault designed an integrated retractable ladder. Maybe it’s not practical?

1st cruise missile strike in French history

The bow deck park is rarely used (not enough aircraft to put aboard CdG), so this is the first time I’ve seen a pic of 4 Rafales parked there.

Reconnaissance/air interdiction mission. Wonder why both Rafales carry reconnaissance pods? Did they split up to cover different targets?

It’s extremely unusual to see such a detailed pic of CdG’s hangar. Looking aft from the front elevator, 2 Rafales & one Hawkeye in the forward
hangar bay, with the other Hawkeye (and the top of 2 Caracal rotor hubs) visible in the rear hangar bay behind the open fire door.

Looking aft from the rear elevator. CdG recently started using robotic aircraft tugs (see http://www.mototok.com/military.html for a great video),
which presumably has greatly reduced the need for this kind of manual maneuvering of aircraft into tight spaces.

Looking forward from the forward elevator. This venerable 46-year old 😮 Alouette III soldiers on for day-time plane guard duties…
…and is dwarfed by the Puma (edit: not Caracal as initially stated) CSAR helo behind her. )

The mission has barely started… changing engines already? :confused:
(Notice the fire door behind has been closed and the cumbersome green storage container for a spare M88 engine – some of which have to be stored on deck next to the island because they take up too much space in the hangar)

Off on a recon mission. Can you spot the Rafale M’s unique jump strut in action? (If not, see the next picture)

Jump strut retracted. Compare the distance between the launch bar and the wheels to the pic above.

(Large pics – click on links) Notice the crowded deck park ahead of the landing Hawkeye.
http://www.defense.gouv.fr/var/dicod/storage/images/base-de-medias/images/operations/autres-operations/harmattan/110321-libye-preparation-du-porte-avions-charles-de-gaulle/preparation-du-porte-avions-charles-de-gaulle-2/1128120-2-fre-FR/preparation-du-porte-avions-charles-de-gaulle-2.jpg
http://www.defense.gouv.fr/var/dicod/storage/images/base-de-medias/images/operations/autres-operations/harmattan/110321-libye-preparation-du-porte-avions-charles-de-gaulle/preparation-du-porte-avions-charles-de-gaulle-3/1128125-2-fre-FR/preparation-du-porte-avions-charles-de-gaulle-3.jpg

Good shot of the “Super Nounou” buddy refueling configuration – 2x 2,000L & 2x 1,250L tanks underwing, with centreline buddy pod

A Caracal practices CSAR ops from the Lafayette class frigate escorting CdG. Presumably the stealth frigate would be the one to
close in on the coast if needed to extend the helo’s range?

Let’s not forget the escorts! Forbin at high speed. Rather wet (and ugly) isn’t she?

Seems to me that what “made” the F-104G was 1) the superb J79 engine and 2) the advanced avionics (especially INS & terrain following for all-weather low-level strike). The Crusader didn’t have either.

The only contemporary engine that could compete with the J79 was the Avon RB.146 Mk 300 series fitted to the EE Lightning and Saab Draken. Wonder which was the better choice?

I’m more skeptical of the F-104’s tiny trapezoid wing configuration. For starters, it’s never been repeated elsewhere. Also, looking at the alternatives, was performance in air-to-air really superior? (For low level strike, the high wing loading was certainly useful) Looking just at the platform, IMHO the following platforms seem to have been just as effective in air-to-air as the F-104 (i.e. offered a solid mix of performance in climb / acceleration / instantaneous or sustained turn performance):

– Swept-wing & J79 engine: the F11F-1F had equally great performance by all accounts
– Delta wing & Avon engine: Mirage IIIO, reportedly a real hot-rod
– Double delta wing & Avon engine: Draken, slightly penalized by its large wing which did however enable very low landing speeds

So was the F-104 anything special? Any data on climb / acceleration / turn rates would be welcome.

Apparently Dassault only returned 4 Libyan Mirages to flight-ready status. With 2 F1ED now in Malta, that leaves 2 F1BD two-seaters in Libya.

The two-seaters do not have internal guns, and apparently the rockets are from the original stocks delivered around 1980, which is causing headaches in Malta because they are time-expired and potentially unstable. Seems like the pilots were smart to defect, because the rockets might have blown up in their faces on launch! 😮

Source: http://www.marianne2.fr/blogsecretdefense/La-Libye-n-a-plus-que-deux-Mirage-F1-en-etat-de-vol_a142.html

Apparently Khadafi woke up one morning convinced that he absolutely needed to have SCALP cruise missiles, to which the French responded by giving him the finger (politely, I’m sure).

Probably the bigger issue is that Khadafi was bargaining for the Rafales like one might bargain for camels, and wasn’t willing to dip into his Swiss bank accounts and petro-dollars to pay for the jets. :p

Here you go: OHP Littoral Combat mod

Land/Surface Attack:
1x 127mm Oto-Melara with Vulcano guided ammo
8x Harpoon

AA defense:
32x ESSM radar-guided
11x RAM IR-guided
1x 76mm OTO-Melara gun with Davide guided ammo

ASW: 6x Torpedoes

Electronics:
CEAFAR X-band radar for medium range 3D search & tracking
CEAMOUNT IWI guidance antennas
Sea Giraffe radar for close-in 3D search & tracking

P.S. Apologies for the RAN Kangaroo markings. I was a bit lazy to change some of the details!

Just a question (:diablo:)
What could the actual Typhoon do in A-Stan beside protecting an already “friendly” airspace ?
Can it drop anything or maybe just leaflets written in Arabic to ask the talibans to surrender ?

That’s very disingenuous of you. You know perfectly well that the Typhoon was cleared 2 years ago for the Litening III designation pod and the whole range of 1,000lb bombs in RAF use (dumb/laser/GPS-laser). There are about 45 FGR4 single seaters and 10 T3 two-seaters that are in theory “Afghan ready”.

(If you don’t know, then what remote planet or island have you been living on?)