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Home , Dassault Mirage 2000, Dassault Rafale, Tanagra

RAFALESThe is (two DGs and four EGs), while the Aviation’sOF facility in , to be 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 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 ’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? fi rst discussed the (HAF’s) aging fl eet of 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. 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 Flight Information Region (FIR) over the Aegean from the dangers of the ’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 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 . 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 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. ‘30-GN’ operated by saw tensions rise with Turkey over HAF by 2025. EC 03.030 ‘Lorraine’ As a result, Greece opted to procure a is reported to be the eastern Mediterranean Sea’s energy new fighter instead of spending money on one of the five or six resources. Along with an increase in TuAF Scheduled deliveries upgrading the aging type. Thus, the nation Rafale Cs from BA118 fighters violating Greek airspace, the A few days after the deal was finalized, Mont-de-Marsan that began negotiating the purchase of the are planned to be HAF’s Tactical Air Force command found a Rafale B from Escadron de Chasse Rafale with France in 2008. delivered to the HAF it necessary to increase the number of 01.004 (EC 01.004) ‘Gascogne’ – serial On March 4, 2008, the Rafale International Mirage 2000-5s by upgrading the aging number 305 ‘4-EC’ – was transferred from office was inaugurated in Athens during a Mirage 2000EGMs or by purchasing a fleet BA113 St Dizier-Robinson to Bordeaux, ceremony that was attended by the French of Rafales to replace the matured fighters. to be prepared for delivery to the HAF ambassador to Greece. Subsequently, talks The latter was decided as the more viable as the first of four Rafale DGs. Before quickly began for the procurement of the solution and negotiations between the being transferred to EC 01.004 in 2017, multi-role fighters, but it didn’t bear any French and Greek governments for the this aircraft was used for flight testing fruit, due to the financial crisis faced by purchase restarted in August 2020. and evaluating new systems for the Greece that year. Finally, on September 12, 2020, Greek multi-role fighter. So, Greece decided to retain its fleet Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis Prior to its delivery to , of 17 Mirage 2000EGM-SG3s and three confirmed the nation’s intention to acquire the Rafale B had some of its sensitive components removed by the engineers and technicians of the Aeronautical THE MIRAGE 2000 LACKED A POWERFUL ENGINE, Technical Support Squadron 15/4 ‘Haute-Marne’ at BA113, including the WHICH RESULTED IN MULTIPLE CRASHES control panel for the Nuclear Air-Sol Moyenne Portée (ASMPA, enhanced DURING TRAINING OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES medium-range air-to-ground missile). As part of current plans, Rafale B – serial Mirage 2000BGM-SG3s for longer. Due 18 Rafales and illustrated the strength 305 – will be ready for the HAF this July. to the crisis, the proposed purchase of 40 of the partnership during his speech in However, the aircraft will remain in France Rafales was reduced to 24 in 2010, but Thessaloniki, which has linked the HAF until a second Rafale B and two Rafale Cs the Greek government was still unable to with Dassault for more than 45 years. have been converted to DG/EG standard finance the purchase. At the same time, Greece also began and prepared for delivery to the HAF. As an alternative for the expensive negotiating a deal with Dassault to These four aircraft are slated to be handed Rafale deal, the Supreme Council of the upgrade the 24 Mirage 2000-5s (19 over to Greece between December 2021 HAF General Staff approved a program to single-seaters, five two-seaters) currently and January 2022. modernize 17 Mirage 2000EGMs of the 332 in service with 331 Mira. The first new-build Rafale DG for the HAF Mira into Mirage 2000-5 standard in 2016. Formal contracts for the purchase of an will take flight in the summer of 2022. The Through this project, the aircraft were 18-strong Rafale fleet were signed by the two brand-new Rafale DGs and four Rafale going to receive a comprehensive director general of armament and defense EGs will be manufactured and delivered upgrade package. The key part of this investments of the Greek MoD, Theodoros to Greece by the end of 2024, while two package was going to be Thales’ RDY-3 Lagios, and the chairman and CEO of more second-hand Rafale Cs will be multi-track radars, which were to replace Dassault Aviation, Éric Trappier, in Athens handed over to the HAF in 2022, followed the platform’s aging RDM-3 radars. on January 25. by six more in 2023. This would enable the use of MICA-RF As part of the deal, 12 former AAE Training of the first group of HAF pilots active radar-guided air-to-air missiles, Rafales – comprising ten Rafale Cs from began at BA118 Mont-de-Marsan in which are already employed by 331 118 Air Base (BA118) at Mont-de-Marsan June (see ‘Rafale pilot training’). Following Mira’s Mirage 2000-5s. However, due to and two Rafale Bs from 113 Air Base the end of their training, the first group ongoing financial issues, no deal was (BA113) at St Dizier-Robinson – and six of four Rafale DG/EGs will be flown to made with Dassault. brand-new fighters (four Rafale EGs and Tanagra AB by the end of January 2022.

www.Key.Aero // August 2021 23 SKYROS 2021 // GREEK RAFALE PURCHASE

However, plans could change. Instead of projection and a demonstration of the Mirage 2000-5BG the capability of the AAE to project its four aircraft being delivered to 332 Mira, AAE’s expertise, Skyros allowed France to 509 of 331 Mira is presence and the resolution of the HAF seen during in-flight six surplus AAE Rafales may arrive at the strengthen its relationship with several refueling training to welcome French on Greek base in June or July 2022. A year states of the Eurasian region through from an AAE-operated its home soil. after their delivery, the 114 CW will have meetings, exchanges and mutualized KC-135RG in a joint The key objectives achieved by the HAF exercise in 2009. the capability of deploying the brand-new training, such as air-to-air combat, This was five years through its participation in Exercise Skyros fighters to the Greek island of Skyros, for cross-flight air-to-air refueling, joint raids before 331 Mira 2021 were to provide an opportunity for use by the 135 Combat Group in a quick and other missions. pilots stopped their 332 Mira to host AAE-operated Rafales, air-to-air refueling reaction alert role. Each stop along the deployment training AAE in order to prepare the unit for the near provided an opportunity for the AAE to future – when it will operate its own Landmark exercise perform bilateral missions with local air examples of the multi-role fighter – and, On January 20, the AAE launched Exercise arms, thanks to total co-operation. Skyros secondly, to restore in-flight refueling skills Skyros 2021, which involved seven aircraft 2021 represented a major landmark for the of 331 Mira’s instructor pilots. – four Rafale Bs, two A400M Atlas AAE, which has the objective of being able According to the primary responsibility heavy-lift tactical transports and an Airbus to deploy 20 Rafales and ten Phénix MRTTs officer, Lieutenant Colonel N Nicholas, A330-243MRTT Phénix multi-role tanker at ranges of up to 12,427 miles (20,000km) who was in charge of preparing the transport. It also involved 170 personnel. in less than 48 hours by 2023. Skyros missions, the most important Two Rafale Bs from the AAE’s Strategic The AAE aircraft participating in this goal of the HAF was to bring back the Air Command (SAC), and Air Defense and exercise visited Djibouti in East Africa, in-flight refueling capability. He explained: Air Operations Command, were involved , the (UAE), “When we [were] deployed to Greece, in the exercise. The two SAC examples Egypt and Greece. The presence of the our detachment was divided in two. The were serials 308 ‘4-HA’ and 317 ‘4-HO’ HAF in the latest edition of Exercise Volfa Rafales and A400Ms flew to Tangara, while from EC 01.004 ‘Gascogne’ and ETR 03.004 at BA118 Mont-de-Marsan in September the A330 MRTT was flown from Athens ‘Aquitaine’, respectively, while the other 2020 and the participation of the AAE International Airport, because of the short two were serials 324 ‘30-HW’ of Escadron in Exercise Iniochos at Andravida AB, length of the runway [at] Tanagra. de Chasse 03.030 (EC 03.030) ‘Lorraine’ Greece, April 12-22, 2021, testified to the “The Hellenic F-16s performed a lot and 329 ‘30-ID’ from Escadron de Chasse strengthening of bilateral exchanges of air-to-air refueling with [the] MRTT, et d'Expérimentation 01.030 (ECE 01.030) between the two nations. but, more importantly, the Mirage 2000s ‘Côte d'Argent’. In Greece, Skyros 2021 was a force performed air refueling. It was not a big More than just an autonomous force deployment exercise that demonstrated challenge, but we needed to check the pilots before and do some paperwork to make sure that the Greek Mirage 2000s RAFALE PILOT TRAINING can perform air-to-air refueling. 332 Mira – currently the operator of two Mirage 2000BGMs and 16 Mirage 2000EGMs (with only a third of them “We sent two instructor pilots from operational) – will receive the 18 Rafale DG/EGs. The majority of the Rafale pilots will be selected among those who currently serve with the squadron. Orange [BA115] to check the ability of Training will start at the Rafale Training Center (CFR) 23.030 at BA118 Mont-de-Marsan. This is a joint specialized the [HAF] pilots. After a briefing on the training unit, which boasts a mission to create, update and distribute theoretical courses on all the Rafale variants. ground, two Greek pilots on front seats In addition to pilots, engineers and technicians with the four aeronautical specialties (, powerplant, of two Mirage 2000s and the two French and armament) will also be trained at BA118. instructor pilots in their back seats joined Firstly, pilots from 332 Mira will pass an Initial Qualification Training (IQT) or Basic Transition Training course on the Rafale Bs of CTR 23.030, which will include several hours of flying on the type simulators operated by the Airbus MRTT and practiced the Escadron de Transformation Rafale 03.004 (ETR 03.004, Rafale Transition Squadron 03.004) ‘Aquitaine’ at in-flight refueling when we arrived in BA118 St Dizier-Robinson. Greece from Egypt [on February 2]. Following the IQT course, the pilots will then pass a Mission Qualification Training (MQT) program. To become “More training refueling flights were instructor pilots on the type, HAF aircrews will need to return to BA118 and pass the course with ETR 03.004. It is performed in the next few days, to also highly possible that, with the presence of AAE instructors, they will receive continuation training on the first six Rafale DG/EGs after their delivery to Tanagra. improve [the] capacity of the Hellenic F-16 and Mirage 2000 pilots. It was one

24 August 2021 // www.Key.Aero of the main objectives of the [HAF]. HAF and AAE pilots During the exercise, Greek Mirage 2000 pose for a photo during Exercise Volfa pilots fl ew in the back seat of Rafales and at Mont-de-Marsan witnessed in-fl ight refueling from the in September 2020 Airbus A330 MRTT.” Hellenic Air Force The A330-243MRTT that participated in the exercise was serial 043/F-UJCI, while the Mirage 2000-5BGs of 331 Mira – which were used for the in-fl ight refueling training of HAF pilots – were serials 508 and 509. The French A400Ms provided logistics support for Skyros 2021 and transferred aircraft ground equipment – that was not readily available from the HAF – to Tanagra. These aircraft were serials 008/F-RBAU and 073/F-RBAN. On March 6, the French Minister of the knowledge and skill of performing in-fl ight capabilities, thanks to the Rafale’s Thales Armed Forces, , paid a visit refueling until 2014, when the air arm’s last RBE2 active electronically scanned array to BA113 St Dizier-Robinson, to be briefed LTV A-7E Corsair II ground attack aircraft (AESA) radar. about Skyros 2021. Combat Aircraft Journal and two-seat TA-7E combat trainers were In the last 30 years, the HAF has lost 12 interviewed her about how the interaction retired from operational service. Mirage 2000s and one Mirage 2000-5EG of the AAE with the HAF during the The A-7E/TA-7E were the only aircraft – mainly due to engine issues, such as exercise contributed to the Greek Rafale in HAF service that were capable of lack of adequate power during dogfi ghts program. She explained: “The Skyros being used in an air-to-air refueling role, or loss of engine due to technical fi res or exercise was a very good way to interact thanks to their D-704 buddy refueling foreign object damage (bird strikes). between the [AAE] and the [HAF] – it is not pods. Current plans state that Greece will However, this will not happen with the fi rst time [we’ve done] that. The [HAF] purchase at least three in-fl ight refueling the Rafale, thanks to its fault localization operates Mirage 2000 fi ghters already and pods for the HAF’s future Rafale fl eet, systems, as well as its two powerful Snecma Greece has decided to acquire Rafales. allowing them to be used in a tanker role M88-4e afterburning . The Some of the Rafales here in St Dizier will in support of other Rafale/Mirage 2000-5 powerplant provides 50.04kN (11,250lbf) be transferred to the [HAF]. missions from Skyros island. of maximum dry thrust each and 75kN “Skyros 2021 provided a great The Mirage 2000 and later Mirage (17,000lbf) of maximum afterburning opportunity for the [AAE’s] Rafale pilots to 2000-5 enabled the HAF and, especially thrust, each compared to the Mirage share their skills with [HAF] pilots during its 135 Combat Group on Skyros island, 2000’s single -P2 the exercise. Tanagra [AB] was chosen FASF Rafale C to establish air superiority over the TuAF engine, which provides 64kN (14,300lbf) of by the Greek authorities for the [AAE] to 136 ’30-GE’ from in the Athens FIR (over the Aegean Sea) maximum dry thrust and 95kN (21,384lbf) EC 03.030 fl ies in deploy its aircraft and participate in the formation with a HAF across the last 33 years. with the afterburner engaged. exercise. It was a relevant decision to do so F-16C Block 50 and With the Rafale EGs, the Greek air arm Adding a substantial upgrade to the because, in the future, the Greek Rafales a Spanish Air Force will be able to maintain superiority over HAF’s fl eet, albeit more than a decade after F/A-18A Hornet during will be based there,” Parly added. Exercise Volfa AAE/ the Turkish F-16C/Ds in aerial combat, and initial purchase discussions, the addition The HAF’s Mirage 2000-5 pilots had the Sébastien Lafargue improve its stand-off attack and anti-ship of the Rafales is to be a welcome one.

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