In its ecoxet mission, Super etendard can carry magic2 aam, phimat chaffs dispenser or barracuda jamming pod on outer pylons. But the 2 DEFA 30mm guns have to be removed to install complementary electronics for the AM39.

nigerian rv-6a trainers, malian Z-9, Mi-24 in Sierra Leone and Niger B737

AS532SC are fitted with Thales VARAN or Bendix/King RDR 1500 radars (depends of users) and with a CHLIO FLIR turret (new variants)

French navy rafale over Afghanistan

If I remember correctly, project launched few years ago, after cancellation of ATL3, to replace german and italian ATL1s.
Project cancelled too

Why is there a maritime patrol aircraft in the middle of africa ???

Because it’s the only long range elint/comint/recce/radio relay/abfac aircraft of the french armed force. It’s not the first time this aircraft is used in overland missions (Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Congo, …)

because no one can confirm an air force or naval detachment in

There are 2 permanent ATL2 Detachements in Africa: Dakar (SAR in Senegal and operation Licorne in Ivory Coast) and Djibouti (Operation Enduring Freedom).

The French would have been missing a trick if they had not upgraded their Atlantiques to do other things as well such as overland reconnaissance and evesdropping

Let see the next military programming budget in 2007

some precisions:
– The Atlantic2 is from the french naval aviation
– The chadian and kenyan incidents are different: Yesterday a MANPAD has been fired against an ATL2 based in N’Djamena during an “Epervier” mission and has missed it. Some days ago, an ATL2 based in Djibouti made an emergency landing in Mombasa after a false cockpit signal indicated a possible engine fire. The incident happened during an maritime survey flight (operation Enduring Freedom).
– The missile was detected by sight
– No gazelle but a C-135FR based in Chad

interesting link:
http://home.wxs.nl/~p3orion/sneaky.html