France Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

During Bold Alligator 2012, French Navy's new fast amphibious landing craft (L-CAT/EDA-R) has successfully completed several amphibious maneuvers tests on USS San Antonio (LPD-17).

For two-hours, the EDA-R made three successive boarding into the well deck of USS San Antonio while transporting a 7 tons vehicle of the U.S Marine Corps. The crew chief of the EDA-R explains that "a concern was the possible lack of depth of water in the well deck." USS San Antonio commander said he was "impressed with the mobile platform of EDA-R, which transforms the craft into a sort of catamaran once vehicles are loaded onboard."

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The Marine Nationale (French Navy) will test the naval version of the Aster 30 against a US made GQM 163A Coyote simulating a sea skimming supersonic anti-ship missile. This follows the succesful interception of an Israeli made Black Sparrow missile (simulating a SCUD missile) by Aster SAM.

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A French sniper rejoices over the highest score in a shooting competition. British and French snipers are currently conducting a joint training exercise in the north-english county of Northumberland.[...]

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Today is the first anniversary of the Libyan uprising in which Britain and France put the bilateral defense and security cooperation agreement they reached in November 2010 to practical testing. Coincidentally a UK-French defense and security summit was held in Paris today at which British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said they were “determined to sustain a high level of defense spending, flexible and rapidly deployable forces, interoperability with our Allies and a solid industrial basis.”

They noted that their “cooperation in Libya has been a defining moment – and one on which we will continue to build in the future,” and that “the shared experience has validated and accelerated our cooperation.”

Since the end of the Libyan conflict both countries' defense officials have had time to analyze the lessons learned during this 7-month operation and so “have decided to prioritize our joint work in the key areas of: command and control; information systems; intelligence, surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance; and precision munitions.”

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The civillian judicial system IMO have no business probing into anyone's military. Period.

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navyreco said:

Then it is the future SSN class and FREMM Frigates.
PA2 (Future aircraft carrier) is still there... but no budget allocated


The two big thing stick out each side of the bridge are jammers

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French Mirage 2000Ds to gain ELINT role
By: Craig Hoyle London - 8 hours ago

French air force Dassault Mirage 2000D strike aircraft are to gain the ability to perform electronic intelligence (ELINT) missions, under a new deal with Thales.
Approved by France's DGA defence procurement agency, the ASTAC pod integration programme will see the 2000D fleet assume the tactical reconnaissance role currently held by the air force's aged Mirage F1s.
According to Thales, the 400kg (882lb) ASTAC pod's ELINT capabilities include the ability to locate and classify hostile emitters to support targeting applications or to inform an air force's electronic order of battle. The equipment was used by the F1 fleet during last year's NATO-led campaign to protect Libyan civilians, referred to by France as Operation "Harmattan".
"The contract includes all the modifications required to interface the ASTAC pods with the Mirage 2000D (below), including adaptation to the platform and adjustments to the countermeasures systems housed inside the pod," Thales said on 23 February.
The work is due to conclude in 2014, with this to coincide with the planned retirement of the F1 fleet. More than 50 of the type are currently in active service with the French air force, according to Flightglobal's MiliCAS database.

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Close Encounter: Typhoon and Rafale
Ares, March 5

The RAF's No. 3(F) Squadron dispatched two of its Eurofighter Typhoons from Coningsby to France to visit the Dassault Rafale operating 1/7 Squadron at the Saint-Dizier air base.
The visit, which too place March 2-5, was part of a larger effort to cement French and British military ties after the two countries have entered a long-term strategic partnership.
A pilot exchange program between the two aircraft types is also planned this year.

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