A prestigious squadron with a unique history within the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air), ‘Normandie-Niemen’ holds the service’s record for the most aerial victories. Today, it leads the line as one of the air arm’s four front-line Dassault Rafale squadrons.

report and photos: Jan Kraak

AFTER HAVING FLOWN the Mirage F1C for over three decades, ‘Normandie-Niemen’ was deactivated at Colmar air base in

2009. The fi rst Rafales and personnel for the re-formed squadron arrived at Mont-de-Marsan in August 2011 and Escadron de Chasse (EC) 2/30 was declared operational on June 25, 2012.

The Armée de l’Air Rafale force comprises EC 1/7 ‘Provence’ and EC 1/91 ‘Gascogne’ based at Saint-Dizier in

the north-east of the country, while EC 2/30 ‘Normandie-Niemen’ is stationed at Mont-de-Marsan in the south-west. EC 3/30 ‘Lorraine’ is based at Al Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): this squadron is smaller than the units back in France, operating around six Rafales. EC 1/91 is part of the nuclear deterrent force, or Forces Aériennes Stratégiques (FAS). The other squadrons are conventional units.

Although the Rafale squadrons on the French mainland are all ‘omni-role’ units, each has a specifi c domain for which it is

the reference squadron. For EC 1/7 this is the air-to-air tasking, for EC 1/91 it is strategic bombing, while EC 2/30 is the reference squadron for air-to-ground and reconnaissance missions.

‘Normandie-Niemen’ commander Lt Col Danny describes the function of the reference squadrons: ‘We don’t have a weapons school in charge of writing documentation. Instead, the operational squadrons develop tactics within their area of expertise, write the documentation, and make sure that it is sent to everybody involved.’

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France, with its forward-deployed squadron of Rafales in the United Arab Emirates, was among the fi rst to launch raids deep inside Iraq alongside its US partners. Armee de l’Air

‘Normandie-Niemen’ fl ies the Rafale F3.4+ standard, which entered service in 2015 and includes a number of upgrades compared to the previous version. Above all, F3.4+ off ers improved compatibility with NATO allies: the pilot can now choose to work directly with NATO-standard geographical co-ordinates, without having to translate co-ordinates from one standard to another. Other refi nements comprise improved ergonomics for the self-protection systems and fl ight safety enhancements relating to the braking system.

The next standard for the Rafale will be F3R. With this, squadrons will receive the fi rst examples of the new-generation TALIOS multi-function targeting pod, as well as the Meteor active-radar beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) in 2018. Combined with the Rafale’s active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar system, the Meteor will allow pilots to attack aerial targets over 100km (62 miles) away. This is an increase in radius of about 40km (25 miles) when compared with the MICA missile. Maj Michael: ‘The arrival of the Meteor will revolutionize our air-to-air tactics. We will have to revise our BVR tactical training. We will have to work over greater distances, which implies a diff erent way of anticipating and applying tactics.’

The Air Force is also developing the F4 Rafale together with Dassault Aviation and the French government’s Directorate General of Armaments (Direction Générale de l’Armement — DGA). It should enter service in 2020.

On the squadronEC 2/30 is made up of around 60 permanent staff . There are currently more than 30 pilots, approximately 10 support staff , and 20 intelligence offi cers and non-commissioned offi cers who specialize in interpreting images, analyzing electronic signals, and using intelligence data to prepare missions. Usually, a Rafale squadron will have 20 to 25 pilots. The reason for the increased number of pilots within ‘Normandie-Niemen’ is the upcoming reshuffl e at Mont-de-Marsan. Anticipating the arrival of a second Rafale squadron at the base, the Air Force began assigning additional personnel to EC 2/30 instead of having to transfer them twice in one year. The number of pilots has

Changes aheadThe Rafale fl eet will undergo a number of changes over the next two years. In future, the conventional Rafale squadrons will be based at Mont-de-Marsan while the nuclear deterrent force will operate out of Saint-Dizier. As a result, EC 1/7 is due to move from Saint-Dizier to Mont-de-Marsan this year. However, it will be renamed EC 3/30 ‘Lorraine’, and the EC 1/7 ‘Provence’ nomenclature will be assigned to the Al Dhafra squadron. One of the EC 1/7 escadrilles, SPA 162, will join EC 3/30 at Mont-de-Marsan. Having both single-seat Rafale squadrons at the same base will improve communications between the units and facilitate training opportunities as they will be able to set up joint exercises in nearby training areas.

Lt Col Danny: ‘For us it is great that the other conventional Rafale squadron will be based here. It is always better to be able to communicate with people face-to-face instead of talking over the phone or sending e-mails. And being based at Mont-de-Marsan will further develop the Rafale community for diff erent reasons. Personnel will have a more

comprehensive knowledge of the single-seat Rafale fl eet and its capabilities. And there is also a distinct technical culture at Mont-de-Marsan, due to the fact that the CEAM [Centre d’Expériences Aériennes Militaires — the Air Force’s operational test squadron] is based here.’

The FAS squadrons will call Saint-Dizier home. EC 1/91 has been operational on the Rafale for some years now and will be renumbered as EC 1/4 ‘Gascogne’. EC 2/4, currently still operating the Mirage 2000N from Istres, is slowly starting preparations for conversion to the Rafale and should be declared operational around 2018-19.

Meanwhile, the Rafale continues to evolve as a platform. Maj Michael, EC 2/30’s operations offi cer, explains: ‘I fi rst fl ew the F2.2 standard in 2009 and since then we have seen major upgrades every one-and-a-half years. This is great because we can give our input, together with all the former Rafale pilots who are now working at the central staff . These pilots continue to visit the operational squadrons as guest fl yers and this gives us the opportunity to exchange thoughts about things that work and don’t work.’

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continued to grow and should reach 35 before the first personnel transfer to EC 3/30. The mechanics and armorers belong to the maintenance squadron, Escadron de Soutien Technique Aéronautique (ESTA) 2E118 ‘Chalosse’. The 20 or so Rafales are not assigned to EC 2/30 but are within an operational pool in the hands of the ESTA.

The parent wing, the 30e Escadre de Chasse, was activated on September 3, 2015. The Air Force has reinstated several wings since 2014 in order to optimize the chain of command at its bases. A previous organizational change saw maintenance and operational squadrons divided into separate units. However, this sometimes resulted in a more inflexible structure due to the fact that each unit had its own performance targets. The squadrons are still organized according to their specializations but now report directly to the same wing commander, who has an overview of the operational needs and available maintenance capacity.

‘Normandie-Niemen’ has three command levels. The first comprises the flight commanders, responsible for operational-level, day-to-day affairs. EC 2/30 has three flights, known as escadrilles. These are SPA 91 ‘Aigle à tête de mort’, SPA 93 ‘Canard’, and SPA 97 ‘Fanion aux Hermines’. Maj Marco, an escadrille commander, talks about his activities: ‘My vision of the squadron is limited to this week and the next. I deal with the aircraft that are ‘green’, or in maintenance. I assign crews to the aircraft on the flight line. I’m responsible for the missions, where they are flown, which other squadrons are involved, etc. As such I’m also the intermediary with the

maintenance squadron because I have to know what the status of the Rafales is and I need the aircraft to be ready in the correct configuration on time.’

The second level is the operations officer. He has a mid-term view, assigns personnel for the next deployment that will leave in a few months time, and gives instructions to the flight commanders. The third and final level is squadron commander and his second-in-command. They are responsible for long-term planning, and interaction with the commander of the wing and the central staff.

The squadron is organized around four functional cells: operations, pilot training, intelligence, and simulator. Personnel working in operations are responsible for mission preparation, communication of operating experiences, writing training scenarios, and for specific areas such as the use of datalink (Link 16) or electronic warfare.

Pilot training involves anything related to the development of the pilots. Personnel

assigned to this cell keep track of individual pilot training progress, make sure that everybody is current on their qualifications, and organize the actual training modules. Lt Col Danny explains: ‘One of our biggest challenges at the moment is to continuously train enough pilots so that we can carry out our operational contracts. We have a high workload because of our deployments and QRA [quick reaction alert] duties. But we also need sufficient time and resources to qualify combat-ready, two-ship or four-ship lead pilots [who] are able to perform well in their tasks.

‘We are currently engaged in operations that mainly involve air support and reconnaissance, but our operational contracts also stipulate that we have to be able to establish air superiority in the first wave of complex operations. The flying hours during our ongoing operations do not always allow for training every task and at home we don’t have an unlimited number of flying hours available. This is where the simulator is an effective tool.’

In order to gain an overview of training activities, the head of the training cell works closely with the escadrille commanders. Maj Marco told CA: ‘We work together. I plan the sorties for the following week, and when I start working on my planning I will check who will have to renew qualifications, such as night-time aerial refueling. Based on the information that I receive from the head of the training cell, I will assign pilots to specific missions the following week.’

The intelligence cell works alongside operations for mission preparation and training scenarios, participates in pilot training, and organizes the training of its own intelligence officers.

The fourth functional cell is the simulator. Since the beginning of 2015

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Soon, Rafale pilots will be able to call upon the ramjet-propelled Meteor missile, with vastly improved interception ranges.

A pilot poses before a night precision strike training mission.

a team of four EC 2/30 instructors has been utilizing a new basic Rafale fl ight simulator, or OAB (Outil d’Apprentissage Basique — basic learning tool). The OAB lets instructors assess how pilots react to diff erent systems failures or handle fl ying in zero visibility. Pilots can train for their instrument fl ight rules (IFR) qualifi cations, practise working with maps in the cockpit or perform basic tactical training. The main advantage of having the OAB at Mont-de-Marsan is that pilots don’t have to go to Saint-Dizier for basic simulator training. It also has a tactical server for when pilots need to fl y more complex missions in the simulator at Saint-Dizier. The instructors can prepare the mission in Mont-de-Marsan and upload it into the Saint-Dizier simulator.

In the next two years the EC 2/30 simulator team will expand with the arrival of a second sim. Lt Col Danny: ‘Besides their responsibilities as instructors on the OAB these pilots are also preparing for the arrival of the full-mission simulator, which we should receive in 2017. Right now they are working on building a good set of relevant training scenarios. Once the simulator is up and running we will have the same capabilities in Mont-de-Marsan and Saint-Dizier. From a tactical training standpoint this is important because we will be able to train very complex missions.’

Every pilot, any missionOperating an omni-role fi ghter, ‘Normandie-Niemen’ does not have a dedicated primary task like the Mirage 2000 squadrons. The Rafale pilots have to be versatile. Maj Michael: ‘Although there will be slight diff erences due to the number of additional hours fl own within each squadron’s area of expertise, our main goal is that every operational pilot is able to fl y any mission.’

A squadron such as ‘Normandie-Niemen’ has two distinct groups of pilots. The fi rst comprises the young pilots who were assigned to the squadron straight out of the lead-in training school, Ecole de Transition Opérationnelle (ETO) 00.008 at Cazaux. The second takes in combat-ready, two-ship or four-ship lead-qualifi ed pilots who were transferred from other types of fi ghter. For younger pilots the squadron tries to complete the entire training program in under a year. This includes operational conversion at Saint-Dizier.

Before they are declared combat-ready, pilots have to pass a series of eight check-fl ights, which include QRA, close air support (CAS), visual air-to-ground missions, air-to-ground missions with ground and/or aerial opponents, and defensive counter-air (DCA) missions. For experienced pilots who fl ew other jets before being re-assigned to EC 2/30 it can take up to two years before they are

qualifi ed as two- or four-ship leaders. Maj Michael: ‘When people are transferred from other fi ghter jets we sometimes assign them to the QRA or we can send them on external operations because they are specialized in the specifi c type of mission that we are fl ying in that theater.’

Reference workEC 2/30 is the reference Rafale squadron in four key areas: air-to-ground, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and support for special forces. The squadron combines expertise and experience in these roles to write documentation and communicates this with the French Rafale community. This can be in the form of an operational manual but might also be a student paper written on a particular topic by a pilot preparing for four-ship fl ight leader qualifi cation. All documents are archived in a centralized database and serve as reference works.

Being a reference squadron does not mean that a particular unit is the sole specialist regarding its key areas. The Rafale squadrons are omni-role and pilots have to be able to execute the entire spectrum of tasks the type can perform. Maj Marco: ‘The Rafale allows us to fl y many diff erent missions. But it is impossible [for] everybody [to be] an expert in everything. That is why the Armée de l’Air created the reference

‘One of our biggest challenges at the moment

is to train enough pilots so that we can carry out our operational

contracts. We have a high workload

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The fi rst night of Opération ‘Chammal’ was recorded in a series of incredible images as Rafales pressed towards their targets. Armee de l’Air

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squadrons, which means that we have more experts in air-to-ground and reconnaissance while another squadron has more air-to-air experts. However, this does not mean that there are no air-to-air experts here at the squadron.’

Therefore, ‘Normandie-Niemen’ pilots train for the air-to-air missions for which EC 1/7 is the reference squadron. Indeed, EC 2/30’s expertise in air-to-air is refl ected in its membership of the Posture Permanente de Sûreté (PPS), the group of French fi ghter squadrons that supply aircraft and personnel for QRA detachments in France. Currently, ‘Normandie-Niemen’ jets are on QRA duty at Mont-de-Marsan but when necessary they can be sent to other bases in France. The emphasis on air-to-ground means that approximately 60 per cent of training is dedicated to these taskings, which leaves 40 per cent for air-to-air. For EC 1/7, the opposite is true.

Air-to-groundAs the air-ground reference squadron, EC 2/30 is the leader for air-to-ground live-fi re exercises. It writes operational tactical user guides for new weapons and procedures within the fi eld. The CEAM provides operational squadrons with a technical user guide for new equipment but these documents only serve as a basis for

future tactical documentation. Once the new equipment has been introduced to operational service and aircrew have been trained, the reference squadron will start working on the tactical user guide.

Using the on-board cannon is part of the air-to-ground role, and since 2014 an increasing number of Rafale pilots have been qualifi ed to fi re the cannon at night. Even though the technique was developed by the CEAM and the fi rst night-time use of a cannon was credited to an EC 1/91 pilot during Opération ‘Barkhane’, ‘Normandie-Niemen’ serves as the competence center for night-time strafi ng runs employing night vision goggles.

ReconnaissanceThe Rafale squadrons all use the Pod Reco NG for basic reconnaissance sorties, which typically take place at medium and higher altitudes. All Rafale pilots therefore have basic qualifi cations for the pod. However, the Reco NG can also be employed on missions at high speeds and low altitudes.

‘Normandie-Niemen’ is currently developing expertise in these

specialized sorties.‘After the

retirement of the

Mirage F1CR we are now the only fi ghter that fl ies low-altitude reconnaissance missions’, Maj Michael explains. ‘The pod can be fl own at these fl ight levels. However, having the proper equipment and knowing how to operate it is not enough. You also need to develop other competences such as situational awareness and being able to assess situations from the cockpit. These are not easy skills to master.’

The squadron has three former Mirage F1CR pilots who are able to teach these subject areas, but before they can do that they fi rst have to become experts on the Reco NG themselves. EC 2/30 will fi rst qualify its own pilots, but can qualify pilots from other squadrons if there is a need.

EW and special forcesFor the air-to-ground reference squadron, electronic warfare means dealing with diff erent kinds of ground threats. ‘Normandie-Niemen’ often works with the Multi-national Aircrew Electronic Warfare Tactics Facility (MAEWTF) Polygone. They train during exercises or set up specifi c training opportunities at locations such as the T-43 low-fl ying area in central France or the Captieux range close to Mont-de-Marsan.

All branches of the French armed forces aspire to better integrate special forces into CAS missions. The goal is to aggregate all knowledge and standardize procedures between the Rafale and Mirage 2000D units and special forces on the ground. This is easier said than done, since diff erent branches might have diff erent tactics, and because there are often diff erent timelines for everybody involved. Special forces are typically engaged in long missions that can take days, whereas a Rafale only has limited time ‘in the zone’. ‘We supply the special forces with additional fi repower’, notes Capt Victor. ‘They are specialists in detection and surveillance over a longer period whereas

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A typical air-to-ground mission fi t of Damoclès targeting pod and GBU-12 laser-guided bombs.

The tactical codes painted on each side of the nose of the Rafales are being changed. Until recently, Rafales all wore the number of the base (for example, 118 for BA118 Mont-de-Marsan) but they have now reverted to their wing codes (such as 30-IW).

we usually have a three-hour slot. What we contribute is our cannon and the different payloads that we have at our disposal. But, in order to be able to execute these types of missions, everybody has to be well trained in working together.

‘Dropping ordnance during a complex mission based on the input of someone on the ground is not an easy thing to do. And there are differences between air support from a helicopter hovering overhead or a fighter that is circling in the area. It is therefore key that everybody gets to know each other better, which means that we need to train more than before.’

Current operationsFrench Rafales are on permanent deployment at N’Djamena in Chad (Operation ‘Barkhane’) and at Al Dhafra in the UAE (Operation ‘Chammal’). Lt Col Danny: ‘The different deployments and the QRA duties represent a significant part of our activities. For the QRA at Mont-de-Marsan we have two Rafales, two of our pilots and five mechanics from the ESTA on ‘24/7’ alert. Besides our QRA responsibilities here we sometimes send personnel to other QRA deployments, such as Creil. We also staff the ‘Chammal’ and ‘Barkhane’ Rafale deployments together with the other squadrons.

‘Our goal is to have sufficient combat-ready pilots available at all times and to rotate personnel from several squadrons. So, it’s not that ‘Normandie-Niemen’ will be responsible for the ‘Barkhane’ deployment while another squadron does ‘Chammal’. Instead we permanently share the workload between the squadrons, which allows us to always have people ready to operate from our home base, as stipulated in our operational contract.’

Crews and aircraft from EC 1/7, EC 1/91 and EC 2/30 staff the ‘Barkhane’ Rafale

deployment at N’Djamena. As EC 1/91 flies two-seat jets, this unit alternates with the combined deployment of the single-seat Rafales. The missions from N’Djamena are long-distance affairs, while the ‘Chammal’ sorties are flown over Iraq and Syria from the UAE, which also implies long transit times.

For CAS or deliberate strike missions the Rafales are fitted with a Damoclès targeting pod. This allows the pilots to perform a check of the area before releasing their armament, and permits the crew to perform battle damage assessment immediately afterwards.

The ordnance carried on these sorties is usually a GBU-12 laser-guided bomb (LGB), or an AASM-GPS (SBU-38) or AASM-Laser (SBU-54) precision-guided munition. The ‘Chammal’ deployment also dropped a number of GBU-24s, although these heavy LGBs are used less frequently than the GBU-12. The Rafales carry MICA IR air-to-air missiles to counter possible aerial threats.

It is the squadron’s job to maintain a good mix of different tactical and technical qualifications within the group of deployed personnel. ‘It is important

that pilots who were recently declared combat-ready will have an opportunity to acquire operational experience’, says Lt Col Danny. ‘Therefore we systematically deploy pilots in the months following their qualification as operational pilots. The same happens shortly after pilots qualify for two- or four-ship lead.’

Besides these tactical qualifications there are technical ones, such as operating the Reco NG and the different types of armament. Lt Col Danny: ‘A combat-ready pilot will be tactically qualified to perform CAS, air interdiction or fly in a COMAO [composite air operation], but he might be limited in terms of the armament for which he was qualified. Every pilot is qualified to use the cannon and AASM-GPS but it might take longer before he is qualified on AASM-Laser or GBU-24’. This requires the head of operations to undertake personnel planning for each deployment, taking account of the different tactical qualifications while at the same time ensuring that sufficient pilots are able to employ every possible payload that the commander may elect to use.

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Above: Specially-marked for the 70th anniversary of the squadron, this Rafale carries a GBU-24 Paveway II 2,000lb laser-guided bomb on the centerline station.

Top: EC 2/30 ‘Normandie-Niemen’ at Mont-de-Marsan re-formed in 2012 as a single-seat Rafale omni-role squadron. It currently serves as the center of expertise in the air-to-surface precision attack and tactical/pre-strategic reconnaissance roles, but also handles air-to-air missions.