French Air Force Operation Minotaure

On 15 December 2020, the Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (AAE, French Air Force and Space Force)  carried out a strategic air force demonstration when five Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft carried out an air raid lasting over 10 hours – and over 8,000 km - from France for a simulated attack of Base Aérienne 188 (BA188) Colonel Emile Massart Djibouti.

BA188 Djibouti is already used by the French since March 1932. It is located at the international airport Ambouli in Djibouti.

The Rafales were accompanied by tanker aircraft, one A330MRTT Phénix and two C-135FR Starotankers, and an E-3F AWACS. Three Rafale Bs from the 4ème Escadre de Chasse (EC 4) departed in the early hours from Saint Dizier/Robinson (BA113), with another two Rafale Cs from the 30ème Escadre de Chasse (EC 30) departed Mont-de-Marsan (BA118) for the long flight to Djibouti.

When the contingent arrived in the vicinity of the target location, the three Rafale Bs started to penetrate the opposing defenses to simulate a missile fire, while the two Rafale Cs provides air protection for the raid. The opposing force consisted of several Mirage 2000-5s from the Escadre de Chasse 3/11 Corse (EC03.011) stationed at BA188.

The AAE posted a video on the exercise at the Facebook page of Escadron de Chasse 2/4 "La Fayette".

Photos: Armée de l'Air