HEIFARA WAKEA2021

MISSION HEIFARA WAKEAFROM JUNE 20 TO JULY 9, 2021

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SOMMAIRE

HEIFARA WAKEATHE FRENCH AIR AND SPACE FORCE 28

ISSUES 26

STOPOVERS 20

ENGAGED ASSETS 12

THE WAKEA MISSION 10

THE HEIFARA MISSION 08

06TOUR PRESENTATION

LOGO AND SYMBOLS 04

FOREWORD 03

The indo-pacific region is the theater of profound strategic evolutions. With its 1.6 million citizens and 9 million km² of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in this area, France must protect and defend its interests but also provide assistance to populations in the event of a crisis. For that purpose, France relies on national military assets deployed in the Pacific that are regularly reinforced by units coming from the metropolitan area.

In that context, the French Air and Space Force operates side-by-side with other armed forces. It allows for the deployment of massive forces and power. Our objective is to demonstrate our capacity to deploy 20 RAFALE 20,000 km away under 48h by 2023. The HEIFARA mission perfectly materializes this ambition: thanks to its latest-generation, reactive and versatile air assets, the French Air and Space force demonstrates its capacity to operate in the Pacific region on very short notice and in complete autonomy.

Moreover, the Operations Planning and Command Air Center (CAPCO) allows our forces to benefit from a unique capacity to remotely follow up on complex and distant operations from the metropolitan area, even high-intensity operations and with a multi-domain approach fully including actions in the cyberspace, space and electronic warfare domains.

The interoperability between all latest-generation vectors is also a major challenge for the coming decades: for that objective, the WAKEA mission allows us to train with our allies for the newest engagement scenarios. Additionally, it contributes to strengthening our partnerships in the Pacific region to face the operational and strategic challenges that we will have to face together in the coming decades.

from General Philippe LavigneFrench Air and Space Force Chief of Staff

FOREWORD02>03

LOGO AND SYMBOLS MEANING

04>05

• COLORS:blue, white and red as a reference to the French, American, Polynesian and Hawaiian flags; sand color, linked to the insularity and island landscapes.

• THE SKY:

as a reference to the Polynesian flag with sunrays, and to WAKEA.

• THE SEA:evokes the Pacific Ocean and the range of the projection.

• COCKADES:the French Air and Space Force and the United States Air Force (USAF).

This logo is inspired by the one of the French Polynesia Armed Forces (FAPF).

FREN

CH AIR AND SPACE FORCE

HEIFARA WAKEA

Fishhook Links between the islands

Shark toothProtection, ferocity,

power

SpearheadCourage, combat, warrior

WaveLong trips

PATTERNS ON THE AIRCRAFT:

COMPOSITION OF THE LOGO:

French Polynesia Hawaii

HEIFARA :“Pandanus crown” in Tahitian; the pandanus is a tropical plant very common the French Polynesia islands.

WAKEA :Hawaiian divinity of the sky.

170AIRMEN 3

RAFALE

2A400M ATLAS

2A330 PHÉNIXTHEN ONE AFTER TAHITI STAGE30 t

200 m3

OF CARGO AND TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT

PRÉSENTATION DE LA PROJECTION06>07

FRENCHPOLYNESIA

06/21/2021

HAWAII06/27/2021

UNITEDSTATES07/06/2021

FRANCE

FRANCE

07/09/2021

06/20/2021

FRANCE

FRENCH POLYNESIA

HAWAII

LANGLEY

5 983 mi

4 796 mi

2 761 mi

4 834 mi3 796 mi

From the 20th to the 26th of June, 2021, the French Air and Space Force will lead a projection of power mission from the metropolitan area to the Pacific, over 17,000km away from France. This mission is called HEIFARA. Armed forces and especially the French Air and Space Force will demonstrate their capacities to protect its citizens and territories, even from far away, by reaching Polynesia in 48h and conducting successive high-intensity air missions on site.

Composed of 170 airmen and women, the mission will leave the metropolitan area with 3 RAFALE, 2 A330 PHENIX and 2 A400M ATLAS. Following up on the projection and before arriving in Polynesia, will conduct a raid simulating force entry in a disputed airspace. During the following 24 hours, the RAFALE will again be airborne to perform protection missions.

Through these missions, the French Air and Space Force will demonstrate its expertise and operate its command structures including the Operations Planning and Command Air Center (CAPCO) located in Lyon that was recently inaugurated for the occasion. The CAPCO illustrates the adaptation of the chain of command of air operations implemented to anticipate the integration of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). It also illustrates the French Air and Space Force capacity to conduct and follow complex missions taking place on the other side of the globe in real time and from the metropolitan area.

This swift, long distance deployment is embedded in the French defense strategy in the indo-pacific region. It reaffirms our nation attachment to the concept of air freedom navigation and to the respect of international air law. With this mission, as well as with the previous ones (SKYROS 2021, PEGASE 2018), France will reaffirm its position of stabilizing power.

THE HEIFARA MISSION08>09

Book

let S

KYRO

S 20

21

THE WAKEA MISSION10>11

After a first phase in French Polynesia, the French Air and Space Force will rally Hawaii from the 27th of June, 2021, in order to participate in an operational activity as part of its bilateral cooperation with the United States in the Pacific. The interoperability between RAFALE and F-22’s will be at the heart of these maneuvers that will bear the name of WAKEA.

With its overseas territories, France has a geostrategic interface in the Pacific. It is a committed and capable ally for the United States of America but also for Asian and Oceanian states.

The bond between France and the United States has always been dynamic throughout history and defense cooperation. WAKEA will outline the strength and importance of the operational and strategic partnership between our two Air Forces. This tight partnership is regularly demonstrated through high-level joint trainings and daily cooperation in high-intensity military operations in Middle East and Sahel.

Our two Air Forces also share a vision of the necessity of a combined (air, land, sea and space) operations chain of command, capable of defending national interests and of taking the upper hand against globalized, hybrid threats (cyber, informational, access denial …). The latter represent a challenge for reaction time and for the comprehension of the environments to act and take the advantage over potential adversaries. The interoperability between latest-generation fighters is a key element for the safekeeping of our freedom of action.

Finally, on the way back to France scheduled for the 9th of July, 2021, the air group will be invited to land in Langley (Virginia – United States) to commemorate the 240th Anniversary of the battle of Yorktown, symbolizing the American and French victory over the British fleet.

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The new and unique national operations planning and command center located in Lyon, the CAPCO will be capable of commanding and controlling complex missions regardless of the part of the world where they take place. In a context of hardened operational environment and with the risk of high-intensity conflicts, this center will allow the French Air and Space Force (FASF) Command for Air Operations and Air Defense (CDAOA) to counter multiple adversary actions in all domains and battlefields.

In a world of permanent competition, this modern tool is key to synchronize the actions of air power but also, if the necessity should arise, combined and joint actions in order to act in coordination on very short notice. The objectives of this center are:

• to develop the resilience and agility of the French Air and Space operational chain of command ;• to lead the way towards multi-domain, multi-battlefield operations by seeking the synchronization of effects and

by integrating space, cyberspace and electronic warfare domains ;• to prepare for the integration of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) in the various chains of command.

Manned by operations command and control airmen and women specialists from the CDAOA and other units of the French Air and Space Force, the CAPCO will gather operational expertise from the cyber, electronic warfare and informational domains. Thus regrouped in a unique center, these specialists will offer the necessary operational adaptations in real time in order for the Armed Forces to achieve success in their missions.

The CAPCO is under the responsibility of the CDAOA. This operational command of the FASF has the necessary expertise for conducting air operations such as air policing over the metropolitan area or conventional overseas operations in any part of the world.

ENGAGED ASSETSOperations Planning and Command Air Center (CAPCO)

F3-R Rafale

ENGAGED ASSETS14>15

With its countless technical improvements, the F3-R standard of the RAFALE represents a true revolution. Integration of the METEOR air-to-air long range missile, Talios laser designation pod increasing the target detection and identification capacities or even optimized air-to-ground weapon systems. These new capacities further improved the versatility of this latest generation combat aircraft allowing it to perform any kind of mission that the French Air and Space Force might perform, be it the airborne component of nuclear deterrence, air defense, in depth air strike or even close air support.

More than 100 RAFALES ‘B’ (two-seater) and ‘C’ (single-seater) are currently being operated by the French Air and Space Force.

The RAFALE is being operated by the 4th Fighter Squad on Saint-Dizier Air Force Base (AFB) 113 [Fighter Squadron (FS) 1/4 "Gascogne", FS 2/4 "La Fayette", the RAFALE transformation squadron 3/4 "Aquitaine" and technical aeronautical support squadron (TASS) 15/4 "Haute-Marne"] and the 30th Fighter Squad on Mont-de-Marsan AFB 118 (experimentation and fighter squadron 1/30 "Côte d’argent", FS 2/30 "Normandie-Niémen", FS 3/30 "Lorraine", TASS 15/30 "Chalosse"). Outside of French borders, some RAFALE are deployed as part of the FS 1/7 "Provence" in the United Arab Emirates as well as on a FOB in the Middle East.

Wingspan 10,80 m

Length 15,27 m

Speed: Mach 1.8

Technical sheet

A330 Phénix

ENGAGED ASSETS16>17

Wingspan 60,30 m

Length 58,80 m

Fuel carrying capacity: 110 t

A wind of modernization is blowing on air-to-air refueling and strategic arms transport. The versatility of its equipment and performances makes the A330 PHENIX the cornerstone of force and power projection on the different theaters of operations. The first standard of the PHENIX also allows for the permanence of the airborne nuclear deterrence mission, the strategic transport of passengers and sanitary evacuations. The second standard will improve its communication capacities by 2025.

Introduced in 2018, the A330 PHENIX fleet is operated by the 31st Strategic Transport and Refueling Air Squad stationed on Istres AFB 125. The A330 progressively replaces C-135, A310 and A340 with the objective to have an entire fleet composed of one single modern multirole aircraft. The French Air and Space Force currently operates three A330 PHENIX. Three A330-200 have been ordered as part of the aeronautical support plan: they will be converted into MRTT to get the refueling fleet to fifteen aircrafts.

Capable of refueling two fighters simultaneously, the PHENIX can carry up to 110 metric tons of fuel distributed in its wingspan, thus giving the fighters a considerable strategic range as well as a strong reactivity allowing for a quick reaction after a political decision. Fitted with the "Morphée" kit, the A330 PHENIX offers a unique airborne medical evacuation capacity that was first tested in 2020 to transfer COVID-19 patients.

Technical sheet

A400M Atlas

ENGAGED ASSETS18>19

Wingspan 42,40 m

Length 45,10 m

The corner stone of the French Air and Space Force transport aircraft fleet, the A400M ATLAS brings superior capacities to armed forces in terms of speed, range and payload. Its crews are capable of transporting every piece of equipment operated by the French armed forces straight from the metropolitan area to theaters of operations either by air transport or airdrop. The ATLAS offers a longer strategic range for a better integration into the operations. Its payload capacity, range and speed make the ATLAS a truly modern combat system connected to the battlefields.

In active service since 2013, the A400M ATLAS is stationed on Orléans-Bricy AFB 123 and operated by the 61st Transport Squad (Transport Squadron 1/61 "Touraine", technical aeronautical support squadron 2E.061 "Loiret", air transport crew instruction center 340, mission systems administration and support center 6/61). Currently composed of 17 ATLAS, the fleet will reach 25 aircraft by 2025 as stated in the Military Planning Law.

Key element of the projection capacity of the French Air and Space Force, the A400M ATLAS is an essential asset for armed forces operations. This "colossus" is still coming to its full capacity to be able to operate on the front lines inside a disputed environment and within complex operations. Designed for a wide variety of missions, the ATLAS recently proved the outstanding modularity of its cargo hold by transferring COVID-19 patients.

Payload: 35 t

Technical sheet

As the only European states with a permanent military presence in the Indo-pacific region (7,000 troups deployed as 5 distinct forces), France is involved in the region to enforce international law, multilateralism, freedom of movement in shared spaces and to fight against nuclear proliferation. In the Asian-Pacfic region, the missions conducted under the ALPACI (French Combined Command in the Asian-Pacific based in Tahiti) operational command in this gigantic area (half the surface of the globe) guarantee the French situational appreciation autonomy.

The 900 military personnel of the French Polynesia Armed Forces (FAPF) are a prepositionned combined force base in Tahiti who, with the French Armed Forces of New-Caledonia (FANC) and their 1,450 troops, guarantee the French sovereignty over its Asian-Pacific territories and set our country as an actor of the region.

Regularly reinforced by units from the metropolitan area, the FAPF protect Polynesia and Polynesians as well as our interests in the Asian-Pacific region, in tight cooperation with the FANC in Oceania. They operate by assisting the local populations in the event of a natural disaster, they fight against illegal trafficking and illicit fishing, they reaffirm our attachment to international law and freedom of navigation, and they take part in the military cooperation of the Pacific region with the FANC in Oceania.

STOPOVERS FRENCH POLYNESIA

20>21

© C. Luu/FAPF

© C. Luu/FAPF

The high-level trainings conducted for many years in the domains of entry force, command and control of operations but also in the wider domain of air operations guarantee our efficiency in operations as proven during the "Hamilton" raid against the chemical arsenal of the Syrian regime in 2018.

More than the FASF - USAF bond, our collaborative work with all components of the US Armed Forces will allow us to be more reactive during the future challenges that will arise and will require a swift, coordinated and undoubtedly decisive response including in the third dimension up to the outer space.

The United States of America are one of France’s oldest strategic partners. More than a long shared history and bonds of friendship, France and the United States share a common vision about the way future potential threats in the Pacific should be dealt with and an attachment to freedom of navigation as well as a respect for international law.

Side by side in the fight against terrorism and more specifically against Daesh, our two Air Forces work together to improve their interoperability notably between latest-generation fighters, which is a crucial element in maintaining our operational superiority to face the risks of high-intensity conflicts.

STOPOVERS HAWAII

22>23

© Airm

an 1st Class Jayden Ford

© C. Luu/FAPF

The commemoration of the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown from September 28 to October 17, 1781

The stopover on American soil on the way back from the HEIFARA/WAKEA missions is an opportunity to revive the unique relationship between France and the United States of America. Review of a historial fact:

The French during the American Independence WarIn 1776, France unofficially delivered weapons to Americans with the complicity of Beaumarchais, a secret agent who served King Louis XIV. Through the victory of the Americans at Saratoga, NY, on October 7th, 1777, the King realised that the rebels could defeat the British Empire. On December 17th, 1777, he declared that he recognized the independence of the United Provinces of North America. The negotiation resulted in the signature of two treaties on February 6th, 1778. One of them was a friendship and commerce treaty, and the other one was a military alliance treaty, kept under secret at first. France will officially join the conflict, and thus will transform the colonial rebellion into a global war - especially as Spain and the Netherlands came along.

STOPOVERS LANGLEY

24>25

The then twenty–year-old La Fayette, who served under Georges Washington, left France to advise Washington of the impending arrival of their backup. In 1779, the King chose the Count of Rochambeau to lead a French expeditionary corps of 4,000 men, with a mandate to help in the American Revolution.

The decisive Battle of YorktownRochambeau, accompanied by Washington, participated in the Battle of Yorktown, a small town in Virginia located at the mouth of the York river, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Bay in which were 500 British men, led by Lord Cornwallis. The siege began on September 28, while the French and the Americans take back their defense position around the city. In August, the French admiral from Grasse reached the Chesapeake Bay. On the 5th of September, he wins a great victory against the British fleet who then was unable to reinforce General Cornwallis’ troops. The latter will surrender a few weeks after that, sealing a certain victory for the North American colonies, the future United States of America.

Source : musée de l’Armée

© Senior Airm

an Tyler Woodward

© Prise de Yorktown, Auguste Couder (1836)

ISSUES26>27

© Thales - Quadrim

age

PRESERVE OUR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

STEP TO 202320 Rafale, 10 A330 Phénix, 20,000 km in 48h

PROTECT ALL FRENCH CITIZENS AT ALL TIMES

INTEROPERABILITYBetween 4th and 5th generation fi ghters

A worldwide, modern and multidomain air C2:

CAPCO

LOGISTICAL CHALLENGESFor our forward operational deployment site

The space domain is present in the entire spectrum of all these missions and contributes to all these operations. The French Air and Space Force, through the Space Command (CDE) created on the 3rd September, 2019, enforces the military space policy. The increasing military uses, the growing space situational awareness and the development of an operational capacity in space are as many assets that will allow the French Air and Space Force to complete its day-to-day missions of protecting its borders and its citizens.

In all these operations, the space domain is key. The actions of the French Air and Space Force are decisive and guarantee the superiority of our forces. These operations rely on prepositioned assets, capable of a very reactive ramping-up, almost as reactive as the assets deployed on the airbases of the metropolitan area. "Projection of power" missions, decided by the French President, can scramble in a few hours from these airbases. It was the case in 2018 against the chemical installations in Syria. Molded by passion, daring and precision, agile and reactive, airmen and women are moved by a formidable team spirit allowing them to face future challenges after over a century of air prowesses.

THE FRENCH AIR AND SPACE FORCENUCLEAR DETERRENCE

For over 56 years, the French Air and Space Force operates the airborne component of the nuclear deterrence, 24/7, at the orders of the French President.

OVERSEAS OPERATIONSMainly in Sahel since 2013 then in the Middle East since 2014

Airmen and women fi ght against armed terrorist groups in the Sahel-Saharan region (BARKHANE Operation) and against Daesh in the Middle East (CHAMMAL Operation). Even if the enemy lost the previously conquered territory in 2014 in the Middle East, the combat is still going on within the international coalition.

PROTECTING THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE AND ITS APPROACHES Under the responsibility of the Prime Minister

This protection englobes the capacity to take into account all forms of threats and the assistance to all endangered aircraft. For 2020 only, the detection of about 500 abnormal situations required 350 interventions of air assets of the French Air and Space Force that are constantly on the watch.

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Production and graphic design: Public Relations Office of CDAOAPhotos (unless stated otherwise): French Air and Space ForceMay 2021

blanc

30>31