COMBAT AIRCRAFT JOURNAL August 2021 Volume 22 No 8
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RAFALESThe Hellenic Air Force is (two DGs and four EGs), while the Aviation’sOF facility in Bordeaux, to be SKYROS remaining 12 are being delivered prepared for delivery to the HAF. A preparing for the arrival of second-hand from the Armée de week after the purchase, several its fi rst Dassault Rafale DG/EH l'Air et de l'Espace (AAE, French Greek Mirage 2000 pilots from multi-role fi ghters, as Babak Air and Space Force). These 332 Mira fl ew with French Rafale surplus aircraft comprise ten Bs during Exercise Skyros 2021. Taghvaee reveals former single-seat Rafale Cs and But what was behind Greece’s a pair of two-seat Rafale Bs. choice of the Rafales? And what N JANUARY 25, 2021, almost Greece is procuring the fi ghters role did Exercise Skyros play in the 13 years after Greece and to replace the Hellenic Air Force’s HAF’s Rafale program? France fi rst discussed the (HAF’s) aging fl eet of Dassault Mirage purchase of the Dassault 2000BGM/EGMs, which are employed Exercise Skyros 2021 Preparing for the future Rafale 4.5+ generation by the 114 Combat Wing’s (CW) 332 patch. The exercise Since Greece received its fi rst Dassault took place between multi-role fi ghter, the two Mira (Squadron) ‘Geraki (Hawk)’ at February 2-4 Mirage F1CGs on August 4, 1975, the Onations fi nally signed a contract. Tanagra Air Base (AB). HAF has been a steadfast operator of The deal involved the acquisition of 18 Two days after the contract was French fi ghter aircraft. aircraft – six two-seat Rafale DGs and 12 signed, the fi rst AAE Rafale B was fl own The Mirage F1CG and its eventual single-seat Rafale EGs. Of this total, six from St Dizier-Robinson AB in France’s successor, the Mirage 2000BG/EG, will be delivered as new-build aircraft Champagne-Ardenne region to Dassault delivered air superiority capabilities 20 August 2021 // www.Key.Aero to the HAF over the Aegean Sea. This enabled the service’s 135 Combat Group to eff ectively protect the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) over the Aegean from the dangers of the Turkish Air Force’s (TuAF) third-generation fi ghters, which, at the time, included F-100C Super Sabres; F-104S Starfi ghters; F-5A Freedom Fighters and F-4E Phantom IIs. Following the delivery of the fi rst RAFALES OF SKYROS Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 40 Fighting Falcons to the TuAF in 1987, HAF Mirage F1CG pilots soon found themselves struggling to beat the new fi ghter in aerial combat over the Aegean. On March 21, 1988, the HAF received its fi rst Mirage 2000BG/EGs at Tanagra. In just two years, all four two-seat Mirage 2000BGs and 37 single-seat EGs (including one attrition delivery) had been delivered to the Greek air arm. Throughout hundreds of dogfi ghts, the Mirage 2000s have been able to force the Turkish F-16s to withdraw Lieutenant Colonel N from Greek airspace, mostly due to fuel Nicolas, director of starvation caused by the excessive use Exercise Skyros 2021 All photos: author, of the Fighting Falcon’s afterburner. On unless stated October 8, 1996, a Mirage 2000EG pilot reportedly shot down a TuAF-operated two-seat F-16D from 192 Filo (Squadron), using a Matra R.550 Magic 2 short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missile. In 2000, Greece placed a €1.6bn order to purchase 15 new-build Mirage 2000-5s from Dassault, comprising fi ve two-seat 2000-5BGs and ten single-seat 2000-5EGs. The fi rm also modernized and upgraded ten of the HAF’s existing Mirage 2000EGs to 2000-5EG standard, in a process that started in 2003 and ended in 2007. Additionally, three Mirage 2000BGs and 18 Mirage 2000EGs received a slight upgrade – bringing them to Standard Greece 3 (SG3) – to allow the fi ghters to employ MBDA’s AM.39 Exocet Block II anti-ship missile. This initiative was announced in December 2019 by the Greek Ministry of Defense (MoD). Upgrading the older 2000EGs to 2000EGM-SG3 standard has only served as a stop-gap solution until a replacement could be sourced. This fi nally happened when the Greek government signed the acquisition contract for 18 Rafales earlier this year. Greece's procurement of the Rafale comes as part of a larger program for increasing the combat capability of the Three of the four AAE-operated Rafale Bs that Hellenic Tactical Air Force (HTAF), which participated in exercise Skyros 2021 fl y in formation is responsible for training and preparing with two Mirage 2000-5EGs of 331 Mira, an F-16C HAF combat units during peacetime and Block 52+M and F-16D Block 52+M of the HAF’s 336 Mira ‘Olympus’ near Tanagra on February 3, 2021 co-ordinating their operations during AAE/Jean-Luc Brunet wartime situations. www.Key.Aero // August 2021 21 SKYROS 2021 // GREEK RAFALE PURCHASE lubrication, troubleshooting and replacement of Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), which are conducted in the maintenance hangars of 331 and 332 Mira after each sortie, or whenever necessary. For the intermediate level, the 114 CW – like many other HAF combat wings – has its own maintenance hangar to perform the job. These maintenance tasks for the Mirage 2000 are divided into two: ‘hard time’ and ‘on condition’. The former is essentially preventive and has been progressively reduced with feedback; the latter is corrective and takes place more frequently. It requires the evidence of Under this initiative, 24 Mirage design, which was demonstrated during Two Rafale Bs from a defect (wear, deterioration or failure), 2000-5BG/EGs, 38 F-16C/D Block 50s and operations. During the Mirage 2000BG/ EC 02.004 ‘La Fayette’ either through visual checks by on-board – 345 and 358. No 84 F-16C/D Block 52+ fi ghters are going EGs fi rst 20 years of HAF service, the type 358 has recently integrated testability or through the to be modernized to Mirage 2000-5BGM/ proved to be a Low LifeCycle Cost (LLC) been denuclearized measurement of signifi cant parameters. EGM, F-16C/D Block 52+ and F-16V Block weapon system with superb availability. but can’t be offered Hellenic Aerospace Industries (HAI) to the HAF as the 72, respectively, over a period of three From 2011, the number of Mirage second Rafale DG, as holds the responsibility for depot-level to four years. Additionally, 18 F-35A 2000BGM/EGMs that remain operational it is one of the newest maintenance and overhaul tasks. The most Lightning II fi fth-generation multi-role with 332 Mira has declined extensively. jets. The aircraft recent overhauls performed on the HAF’s were displayed at the stealth fi ghters may be purchased to The HAF’s fl eet has suff ered from a lack briefi ng for Exercise Mirage 2000BG/EG fl eet came during their replace the HAF’s matured F-4E (AUP) of spares and repair parts since 2015, Skyros 2021 on upgrade to SG3 standard. Phantom II fl eet. resulting in a minor decline in the number March 6 Following the end of the Time Between of serviceable and operational Mirage Overhaul (TBO) process on the aircraft in Hellenic retirements 2000BGM/EGMs and Mirage 2000-5BG/ question – which started in 2017 – the Dassault's Mirage 2000 family was not EGs, which are employed by 331 Mira HAF opted to not proceed with some fully designed through a true Integrated ‘Aegeas’ at Tanagra. of the Mirages, due to the lack of spares Logistic Support (ILS) methodology, The HAF is experiencing what other available for the platform’s RDM-3 radars, unlike the Rafale, which is much newer Mirage 2000 operators are struggling to as well as a delay in supplying the parts. and more advanced than its predecessor. contend with right now – namely, the Negotiations with France over the However, during the Mirage's design lack of available spares. For example, purchase of the Rafale was also a factor. process, there was strong involvement if a new landing-gear set is needed for Two Mirage from future customers; the advantage of a damaged Mirage 2000, it could take 2000-5BGs of HAF’s Rafale purchase Dassault’s prior experience in developing between two and six months to get the 331 Mira, fl own by Both the age and high maintenance two of the unit’s fi ghter aircraft, and operational feedback part. During the 1990s, it would have instructor pilots (with costs of the HAF’s Mirage 2000BGM/EGM from previous programs, which gave it taken less than a week for the equipment two French instructor fl eet resulted in plans being initiated for the “abilities of a highly available and to be supplied. pilots in the rear the purchase of a brand-new fi ghter jet. seats) look to hook up maintainable aircraft”. The Mirage 2000 has three levels of with a tanker while However, the Mirage 2000 was superior When the Mirage 2000 was designed, maintenance: organizational, intermediate fl ying a refueling in close-range air combat but, when the methodology described above was and depot. The organizational level mission during compared to the F-16C/D, it lacked Exercise Skyros 2021 not yet formalized, but the aircraft took activities involve fl ight inspections, daily on February 2 AAE/ a powerful engine, which resulted in advantage of good supportability in its servicing, operational check-out, Jean-Luc Brunet multiple crashes during air combat 22 August 2021 // www.Key.Aero training over the Aegean Sea in the last French Rafale C 135 In 2020, Greece, Cyprus, Israel and two Rafale DGs) will be delivered to the three decades.