The Quest for Relevant Air Power

French Air Force │ 103
laser-guided air-to-ground missiles and Mirage F1 CR photo- and
radar-reconnaissance missions. 122 Though French aircraft flew
1,237 combat and a significant number of tanker and airlift sorties,
French participation represented only 2 per cent of the total
sorties flown. This was partly due to tight political control. French
decision makers demanded to be informed of potential targets 48
hours in advance; this proved to be incompatible with the high
tempo of the air campaign. 123 Moreover, the reason for this relatively
limited contribution was related to materiel. French aircraft
lacked compatible identification, friend or foe (IFF) equipment,
preventing them from working closely with the allies. French
Jaguar aircraft, despite their precision strike capability, lacked
night-sight capabilities. 124 In addition, the employment of French
Mirage F1 CR aircraft was considerably restricted to avoid confusion
with Iraqi Mirage F1. 125
In July 1991, an official French report concluded that the FAF’s
aircraft fleet generally lacked the capability of immediately operating
in an advanced technological environment. 126 Desert Storm
proved at the time too big, too technically advanced, and too Anglo-
Saxon for the FAF. 127 This experience became a catalyst for improvements
in France’s power projection capabilities and conventional
force renewal. 128 As is discussed later, it was also at the root
of FAF efforts to acquire a computerised and interoperable C2 architecture.
Despite autonomous deployed air operations in the
1970s and 1980s, Desert Storm was a wake-up call. If the FAF was
to play a major role on the international stage, significant reforms
had to be initiated. Desert Storm had considerable corollaries
both on a political and military level.
Immediately after Desert Storm, the implementation of the
NFZ over northern and southern Iraq represented the first opportunities
to enhance operational experience in a multinational environment.
On 25 July 1991, eight Mirage F1 CR reconnaissance
aircraft and a C-135FR tanker were dispatched to Incirlik Air Base
in Turkey. Operation Aconit was the French contribution to Operation
Provide Comfort, aimed at protecting the Kurdish population
in northern Iraq. Prior to the arrival of RAF Jaguars in late
September, French Mirage aircraft were the only tactical reconnaissance
assets of the allied contingent. The FAF regarded Opera-