| Forces Aériennes Stratégiques (FAS) Strategic Air Forces | |
|---|---|
| Active | 14 January 1964 – present |
| Branch | French Air and Space Force |
| Type | Major command |
| Role | Nuclear deterrence |
| Size | ~ 2,000 personnel (2017) |
| Garrison/HQ | Taverny Air Base (1964–2007, 2024–present) Lyon – Mont Verdun Air Base (2007–2024) |
TheStrategic Air Forces (French:Forces Aériennes Stratégiques, FAS;Commandement des Forces Aériennes Stratégiques, CFAS or COMFAS) is acommand of theFrench Air and Space Force. It was created on 14 January 1964, and directs France'snuclear bombardment force. The headquarters are atTaverny Air Base.[1]
Général de division aérienne Stéphane Virem was appointed commander on 16 September 2024, having been appointed deputy commander in 2023.[2][3] He took over from General Jérôme Bellanger, in command from 2021 to 2024, who was appointed Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force.
Initially, theForce de frappe consisted of only of the 92 Bombardment Wing (Escadre), established in 1955 and operating 40Sud Aviation Vautour IIB bombers.[4] These were considered marginal for a strategic bomber role and work began almost immediately on a replacement. In May 1956 a requirement for what became theDassault Mirage IV bomber was drawn up;[4] this bomber was designed to carry nucleargravity bombs over targets in the Eastern bloc at supersonic speeds and was declared operational in October 1964.
In May 1964, Genéral Marie, FAS commander, was replaced by Général Philippe Maurin, former commander of theTactical Air Forces (FATAC).[5] General Maurin later became French Air Force chief of staff in 1967.
The first alert by aDassault Mirage IV armed withAN-11 bombs, and aBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker was executed on October 8, 1964: from that point, a permanent alert was maintained.[6] In addition, theFrench aircraft carrierVerdun was envisaged to have deployed bomber aircraft at sea.
In April 1965, anintermediate-range ballistic missile launch base, part of the Strategic Air Forces was established. It was set up on theplateau d'Albion, Air Base 200 Apt-Saint-Christol (French:base aérienne 200 Apt-Saint-Christol) and equipped with underground launch missile silos. It was operational from August 2, 1971, until dismantling on September 16, 1996.[6]
In the spring of 1966, the deterrent force reached the strength of nine squadrons. In 1973, this deterrence force comprised 60 Mirage IV spread out among nine bases in metropolitan France.
The Mirage IV-P version armed with theAir-sol moyenne portée (ASMP-A) missile entered service in 1986. From 1988,Mirage 2000N began to enter service. All bomber versions of the Mirage IV were retired by 1996.
Since the 1990s, Strategic Air Forces aircraft may also be tasked to carry out conventional air strikes as part of France's exterior military operations.
From 1963 to 2007, the Strategic Air Forces were headquartered at an underground command centre, which also welcomed the same year the Operations Center of the Strategic Air Forces (French:Centre d’Opérations des Forces Aériennes Stratégiques, COFAS). The command post was built 50 meters under the ground, with afallout shelter destined for the executive power in case ofnuclear war; this command post was in full use in 1967.[7] In 1968, CFAS headquarters was located atTaverny Air Base (BA 921) under theMontmorency Forest.
In 1968, at the peak of the highest alert phases, 62Mirage IV (out of which nine were on operational alert and capable of being engaged in 5 minutes while the remainder would follow within the hour,[8] with the alert phase readiness increasing to 15 minutes, from 1964 until 1990 respectively) formed the nucleus of the 3Escadres Bombardment (EB; the 91st Bombardment Escadre (French:91e Escadre de Bombardement), 91e EB, the 93rd Bombardment Escadre (French:93e Escadre de Bombardement), 93e EB, and the 94th Bombardment Escadre (French:94e Escadre de Bombardement), 94e EB) representing several bombardments units out of which one training center:[9]
Jointly, can be added 12Boeing C-135F aerial refuelling aircraft (of which 3 are on operational alert), dispersed into 3 Escadrons (ERV) :
In addition to the command, can be added Aerial Base Apt-Saint-Christol (BA 200). BA 200 was created in April 1967 under the Plateau d'Albion.
Independent from the Strategic Air Forces (French:Forces Aériennes Stratégiques, FAS), several installations were utilized by the latter:
In 1985, CFAS had two squadrons ofS-3 IRBMs at the Plateau d'Albion, six squadrons ofMirage IVAs (atMont de Marsan, Cazaux, Orange, Istres, St Dizier, and EB 3/94 atLuxeuil), and three squadrons ofKC-135Fs, as well as the training/reconnaissance unit, CIFAS 328, atBordeaux.[13]
On 16 July 1999, BA 200 on the Plateau d'Albion was transferred and renamed as Quartier Maréchal Kœnig, to house the2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) and the bi-static space surveillance stationGRAVES of theGeneral Directorate for External Security.
FAS Headquarters was moved on 26 September 2007 from Taverny toAir Base 942 Lyon – Mont Verdun under Mount Verdun. Lyon – Mont Verdun was originally a secondary operations centre.[14]
In 2008, 60Mirage 2000N of the Strategic Air Forces were stationed at two airbases.
In 2014, the Strategic Air Forces comprise two nuclear squadrons with more than 43 aircraft, numbering around 1,400 personnel:[15]
The Mirage 2000N was planned to be retired from service in September 2018, with the La Fayette Squadron converting to Rafale B. Both fighter squadrons were to be stationed atSaint-Dizier – Robinson Air Base in order to improve training and logistics. Forward operating locations for dispersion of nuclear-armed Rafale flights will be retained at other air bases, in line with the French redundancy practice to prevent taking out the aerial nuclear arm with a single massive strike.[17]
TheGroupe de Ravitaillement en Vol 02.091 Bretagne operating 14Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers is also part of the FAS. These aircraft will be replaced by 12Airbus A330 MRTT « Phénix » between 2018 and 2025.
Between 1986 and 1989, the numerousAN-22 bombs equipping theDassault Mirage IV bombers were withdrawn and a new generation of airbornemissile (ASMP-A) arms were placed in service. These missiles are stocked in various designated special munitions depots (French:Dépôts Ateliers Munitions Spéciales, DAMS), which are highly protected sites on different aerial bases.
As of 2010, theAir-sol moyenne portée (ASMP-A) of new generation is destined for the Strategic Air Forces (FAS) of theFrench Air Force and the French Naval Nuclear Force (French:Force Aéronavale Nucléaire, FANU) of theFrench Navy (Marine nationale). The new equipment (Tête Nucléaire Aéroportée, TNA) is of an estimated power mass of 300 kt.
As of end of 2008 and until 2012, depots were reorganized at the occasion of the arrival of the ASMP-A missile to be re-baptized under another ASMP-A depot vector (French:Dépôts vecteurs ASMP-A, DVA). The special munitions depot (Dépôts Ateliers Munitions Spéciales, DAMS) change frequently. The DVA is confined to the squadron during the placement in effect, while the TNA are handled differently, in a specialized zone that is well protected.
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