Afstan: French Air Force and Navy Rafale strike fighters coming

Further to this post--the print headine is "Call to Combat" (while the Germans get their knickers knotted over having their Tornados do reconnaissance in the south):

French Rafale strike fighters will be operational in Afghanistan within days, after undergoing a crash course to integrate precision-guided bombs and other wartime enhancements.

Both the French air force and navy are participating in the surge of combat capability, aimed at bolstering NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

The French air force was to deploy three F2 standard Rafales late last week to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where they will be primarily based, although excursions to Kabul are possible. The aircraft should be operational within days of arrival and remain there about four months, says a senior air force officer planning the deployment. It is the first operational mission since the air force declared Rafale operational last year.

The navy will also have Rafales in the F2 standard in the region of operations. The deployment represents the first of the type for the navy, which is only starting to field this version.

Last week, three F2s were sent to join the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which was already deployed near the Horn of Africa. The ship is now heading close to Afghanistan, with Rafale operations likely to commence mid-month, says a senior navy aviator. The de Gaulle will operate a mix of Rafales, with the three F2s supplemented by nine early-model F1s, which have only an air-to-air capability and a different processor...

The rapid-response program for the Rafales, however, leaves the strike fighter largely dependent on other aircraft. The Rafale itself is not yet fitted with its Damocles laser-designator pod, so someone else has to provide the targeting information. Operational plans for the air force foresee the use of Rafales in conjunction with Mirage 2000Ds, three of which are also in Dushanbe. They will perform the lasing, with the Rafales delivering ordnance. For the navy, the so-called buddy-lasing duties will be performed by Super Entendards. Ground forces can also be used for target designation...