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PRESS FILE – FRENCH AIR FORCE Projection of a Large-Scale Air Intervention in South-East Asia MISSION PEGASE in the Asia-Pacific region from 19 August to 4 September 2018 EDITORIAL A word from the General Chief of Staff of the French Air Force In August 2018, under the command of Air Corps aircrews in a country with which France is develo- General Patrick Charaix, the French Air Force will ping a strong partnership, both in operations and in be taking part in a mission in South-East Asia the field of defence equipment. with a force comprising three Rafale fighters, During the full course of our deployment, the one A400M transport plane and one C-135 re- French Air Force will consolidate the ties that fuelling tanker. This deployment will contribute France maintains with several States in the region to the reinforcement of France’s presence in this and will provide points of support that will benefit zone of major strategic interest and will enable not only the Air Force but also our joint-force ac- us to deepen our ties with many partners in the tions. Also, in line with its systematic practice, the region, while at the same time taking part in a French Air Force will accompany our defence in- programme of preventive action. dustry in our partner countries, to help represent The French Air Force has a key power that has French technological expertise. changed the course of military operations: this This deployment provides the opportunity to power stems from its unique mastery of time and reaffirm the commitment of France to security space, offering the capability for rapid mobilization and stability in the Asia-Pacific, in conformity over a wide area. Recent interventions of the French with the conclusions of the Strategic Review Air Force in the Caribbean, in the aftermath of hur- (“Revue Stratégique”). It will emphasize the ricane IRMA, or in Syria, are telling attachment of France to international law and illustrations of this capability. to freedom of navigation and supply. It will de- The French Air Force therefore monstrate the ability of the Air Force to respond contributes to the security of rapidly and to ensure a presence in this part its fellow citizens, both in metro- of the world, with due attention to the political politan France and in the French and economic considerations at stake and to overseas territories across the questions of national sovereignty. globe. This projection of mi- Deploying armed forces to the other side of the litary force also provides a world is no small matter. It requires specific constant reminder of our resources, such as refuelling tanker aircraft ability to defend the na- and appropriate training. This capability, which tion’s political interests only a small number of nations possess, is the all over the world. mark of a top-class air force. The existing capa- During Mission PE- bility will be further reinforced by the new LPM, GASE (Pegasus), the which stipulates the modernization and targe- French Air Force ted increases in purchases of our MRTT Phenix will especially be refuelling tankers, together with the continued taking part in an delivery of the A400M transport aircraft. exercise providing major operational Général d’armée aérienne André Lanata, added value. Exercise French Air Force chief of staff “Pitch Black”, organized by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), aims to train aircrews for entry mis- sions against a foreign state power. Consequently, it will contribute to the operational preparation of our 2 3 ASIA-PACIFIC, A ZONE OF MAJOR STRATEGIC INTEREST “ALPACI” AND THE ARMED FORCES IN FRENCH POLYNESIA (FAPF) Long-standing cooperation for the partners of the French Air Force The French Air Force is present in the Pacific with Air Detachment 190 The large-scale air operations conducted ning privileged relations with the Australian, In French Polynesia, the action of “ALPACI” (the chipelagos and the 5,030,000 km2 of the Exclusive jointly in the framework of NATO, the Euro- Indian, Singaporean, Malaysian. Indonesian French Navy Admiral in command of the mari- Economic and Zone (EEZ) pean Union and in coalition rely on tried and Vietnamese air forces, through activities time zone and naval forces of the Pacific Ocean) - participate in public service actions, in parti- and tested interoperability and very good implemented by assets stationed in metropo- focuses on the protection of local populations cular in the domains of sea rescue and population knowledge of one another. While these ope- litan France or in France’s overseas territories. (natural disasters, sea rescue, etc.), affirming the support, when requisitioned by the Prefect res- rations are easier to implement South-East Asia (SEA) and sovereignty of France (118 islands dotted over ponsible for the zone. between the Western allies for France is the only European country to maintain a South Asia (SA) are regions of an area as large as Europe) and monitoring the The FAPF forces, as the main point of sup- obvious reasons of geographical permanent military presence in the Indian Ocean strategic importance for French Exclusive Economic Zone (5,5 million km2), which port of the Pacific theatre, together with the proximity, it is nevertheless ne- and the Pacific, In relatively close proximity to the interests, as has been reaffirmed is integrated with the French Polynesia maritime armed forces of New Caledonia (FANC), are res- cessary to develop them beyond SEA and SA zone, which is otherwise remote from by the 2017 Strategic Review of zone (where the maritime action of the State co- ponsible for the regional intervention capacity this scope in order to consolidate France’s metropolitan mainland.. The French Air Defence and National Security vers 22 million km²). of the zone, ensuring the maritime component or construct partnerships and re- Force contributes to this presence through its air (“Revue Stratégique de Défense et With the neighbouring countries (Cook, Ki- and coordinating with the FANC for the air and lations all over the world. base 186 in Noumea, air detachment 190 in Tahiti de Sécurité Nationale”). ribati, Pitcairn, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, etc.), and in land component. For many years, the French Air and air detachment 186 in Réunion. The 2013 White Book on De- coordination with the armed forces of New Cale- The assets of the French Air Force included Force (AAF) has been initiating fence and National Security (“Livre donia, ALPACI maintains a regional cooperation in FAPF essentially consist of two Casa-200 cooperation projects, with the aim of preparing for Blanc sur la Défense et la Sécurité Nationale”) and framework expressed in particular by multila- cargo aircraft of the ET 82 “Maine” squadron the future and protecting the interests of France. the 2017 Strategic Review (“Revue Stratégique teral accords with our American, Australian and and a military air station as part of Air De- In particular, the AAF has turned to targeted de Défense et de Sécurité Nationale”) identify New-Zealand partners tachment 190 (DA partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region, by maintai- Asia-Pacific as a zone of major strategic interest. to provide assistance The Armed Forces of French Polynesia (FAPF) guarantee the protection 190) in Tahiti. This air to the island states of of national territory and coordinate regional cooperation from the detachment, which the Pacific in the event overseas administrative centre of Polynesia. They constitute the is of smaller format of natural disaster and main - essentially maritime - point of support of the Pacific theatre, in than an air base, is to assist them in moni- coordination with the Armed Forces of New Caledonia (FANC). the centre for statio- toring their own EEZs. ning, implementation “We have the same concerns about the risks and threats confronting the Additionally, ALPACI defends French interests and and engagement of the air assets required to Indo-Pacific region, the rivalries between powers, identity-related tensions, the principles of international law through the conduct the operational contracts and mis- trafficking of all kinds that prosper from the lack of development, due in large presence of pre-positioned forces, which France sions entrusted to these units by joint forces part to climate change. Our shared priority is to build this strong Indo-Pacific is the only European country to maintain on a per- command (EMA) under the Senior Commander axis, to simultaneously guarantee our economic and security interests. […] The manent basis in this zone. of French Polynesia (COM-SUP-PF). trilateral talks between Australia, India and France will play a central role (…)“ Due to the geographical remoteness and dispersion of the five Polynesian archipelagos (Marquesas, Tuamotus, Society, Gambier and Aus- Emmanuel Macron, president of France, tral), the French armed forces in French Polynesia during his visit to Australia on 2 May 2018 (FAPF) constitute a frontline air-sea force on the Pacific theatre, in coordination with the armed forces of New Caledonia. The main roles of FAPF are as follows: - protect the interests of France and affirm the presence of France in the Pacific - demonstrate and guarantee French sove- reignty, support the nation in the exercise of its sovereign competencies in the five Polynesian ar- 4 5 THE ARMED FORCES OF NEW CALEDONIA (FANC) The French Air Force is present in the Pacific with Air Detachment 186 The forces of FANC form part of the French so- tralia and New Zealand, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, the The Armed Forces in New Caledonia organize The aircraft of the French Armed Forces of New Caledonia (FANC) vereign forces based in the overseas territories. Salomon Islands and the territory of New Caledo- Exercise “Croix du Sud” every two years, alterna- stationed at Air Base 186 in Tontouta, guarantee the protection of In this capacity, they contribute to the exercise nia, its dependencies and Wallis and Futuna.

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