![]() ![]() The decommissioning of France’s land-based ballistic nuclear missile force has left the country’s sea-based nuclear forces the most powerful leg of the remaining “dyad”. Triomphant-class Ballistic Missile Submarine: Charles de Gaulle has seen combat in Afghanistan, Libya and against the Islamic State. Like other European aircraft carriers Charles de Gaulle can be configured as a helicopter carrier, in which case it can carry up to 800 paratroops/marine commandos and their Super Cougar helicopter transports. Unlike American carriers, Charles de Gaulle has little in terms of anti-submarine warfare capability, leaving that job to her escorts. ![]() A typical cruise will see Charles de Gaulle carrying Rafale M multi-role fighters, Super Etendard attack jets, E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft and utility helicopters. ![]() She can carry up to forty aircraft while underway, both rotary and fixed-wing. Originally planned to be a two-carrier force, the second ship of the class was cancelled due to cost.Īt 42,000 tons fully loaded, de Gaulle is half the size of America’s Nimitz-class supercarriers. The only non-American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in existence, Charles de Gaulle is also France’s lone aircraft carrier. France has ordered eighty Tigers, split evenly between HAD and HAP versions. The HAP version typically carries 70mm unguided rockets for close air support and defense suppression, plus up to four Mistral air-to-air missiles. The HAD version is optimized for anti-armor missions, typically carrying eight Hellfire II laser-guided missiles. The Tiger’s claws come in the form of a NEXTER nose-mounted 30mm cannon for anti-personnel and anti-armor targets. Two Rolls-Royce MTR390 engines propel the Tiger to speeds of up to 196 miles per hour. The Tiger is armored to withstand up to 23mm rounds, giving it protection against the most common anti-aircraft gun caliber. The general layout of the Tiger is similar to that of other attack helicopters, with a two-person crew stationed in tandem. France operates two versions of the Tiger, the HAD multi-role combat helicopter and HAP combat support helicopter. UAE LeClercs have recently been spotted operating in Yemen against Houthi insurgents.Įurope’s answer to the AH-64 Apache, the Eurocopter Tiger has evolved from a dedicated tank-killer into a multi-role attack helicopter. The French Army operates 426 LeClerc tanks, with the UAE operating just under that number. The commander and gunner have separate long-distance and thermal sights for observation and aiming. The autoloader is reportedly capable of up to twelve rounds a minute. This reduces the crew by one, resulting in a smaller tank. Unlike the Abrams, LeClerc uses an indigenous GIAT design fed by an autoloader. Like the Abrams, the LeClerc has a 120mm main gun and carries forty rounds of ammunition. A lightweight and a 1,500hp engine - the same rating as the heavier M1A2 Abrams - combines to give the latest version of the LeClerc a speedy twenty-six to one horsepower to weight ratio. At fifty-seven tons, the LeClerc is one of the smallest tanks currently in production. France operates 140 Rafales including the Rafale M, a navalized version of the fighter featuring strengthened landing gear and a tail hook for aircraft carrier flight operations.įrance’s main battle tank, the LeClerc, was designed toward the end of the Cold War to replace the AMX30 series of tanks. Rafales have flown in combat in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali and Iraq. Recent versions are capable of carrying the ASMP-A medium-range nuclear cruise missile. Though nearly thirty years old, upgrades such as the RBE2 AA active electronic scanning array (AESA) radar, Damocles targeting pod, Meteor air-to-air missiles and SCALP cruise missiles have kept the design competitive with other fourth-plus generation fighters. Although small in stature, the Rafale packs a big punch with twelve wing-mounted hardpoints capable of mounting air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, sensors and drop tanks. ![]()
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