The Quest for Relevant Air Power

88 │ French Air Force
FAF’s conventional force posture, as revealed during the Gulf crisis,
and due to French overemphasis on nuclear forces. Throughout
1990 and 1991, for instance, FAF conventional forces were not
even allocated enough funds to attain 180 flying hours per pilot
per year. 38 Accordingly, a 1992 RAND report concludes that the
FAF faced the largest modernisation and replacement requirements
of any air force in NATO’s central region. 39
Against the backdrop of the reform, it was decided to render
the FAF leaner by focusing on quality versus quantity. Plans were
to reduce the combat aircraft fleet from 450 to between 390 and
350 aircraft by 1994. 40 The Armed Forces 2000 project’s major
shortfall, however, was its being conceptually grounded in the
Cold War. Despite its focus on crisis management, it did little to
prepare the French armed forces for the upheavals during the first
half of the 1990s. 41
Adapting the FAF’s force structure to the new geostrategic context
was indispensable. In 1994 a new command structure was introduced,
distinguishing between operational and organic commands.
Prior to this reform, the FAF had largely been organised
according to the structure of 1960. The implementation of that
structure was at the time the consequence of the adoption of the
nuclear task. The structure itself consisted of four operational
commands—Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command,
Air Defence Command, and Airlift Command. These four commands
were complemented by three support commands responsible
for training, signals, and engineering work. 42
To respond to the new requirements, the structural reform of
1994 had to improve the flexible employment of conventional air
assets. The result was the creation of the Air Defence and Operations
Command. This command was charged with planning and
conducting all conventional operations, both offensive and defensive,
and hence enabled centralised command. 43 Alongside Strategic
Air Command, Air Defence and Operations Command was
henceforth the only operational command. This significantly
streamlined the command structure of the FAF and reduced unnecessary
redundancies. Apart from these two operational commands,
the 1994 FAF structure included five organic commands
in charge of the combat aircraft fleet, the airlift fleet, the ground
environment and signals, ground protection, and training. 44