UN vs DPRK 2007 cont.: Dassault Canada Rafale M F2

[comrade harps]

Dassault Canada Rafale M F2
a/c 17, 434 Squadron, Ie Shima, Japan
20 June, 2007

In the late 1970s, the naval and land-based air commands of the Canadian Forces were seeking to replace and consolidate their current fleets of aircraft and were in the process of establishing a roadmap for its Future Generation Combat Aircraft. At the time they were flying a mix of CAE Bucunneer and CF-4M Phantoms, Dassault Canada Mirage III/5, IV and F.1 variants and SEPECAT (Canadian/Australian) Jaguars from land bases while the carrier aviation force flew CAE Bucunneers, Dassault Canada Super Etendards and CF-4K Phantoms. To replace these the new multinational Panavia (Brazil, Canada and India) Tornado IDS and ADV versions were about to enter service alongside the new Dassault Canada Mirage 2000 series of fighter and attack aircraft, with the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 selected to replace both the CF-4K and the Super Etendard.



In order to reduce development costs and boost prospective sales, Canada entered into an arrangement with Australia, Brazil and India to produce an agile multi-purpose fighter, but subsequent disagreements over workshare and differing requirements led to Canada's pursuit of its own development program. While the three other nations continued collaboration to produce the GlobalFighter Typhoon, Canada chose an indigenous design intended to operate from both land bases and carriers. Dassault Canada was appointed to lead the project, with CAE and Hawker Siddeley Canada (later Bombardier) also heavily involved in what became a national, all-of-industry program. The Rafale A technology demonstrator first flew in July 1986 as part of an eight-year flight-test programme, paving the way for the go-ahead of the project.



The Canadian Armed Forces received three main production versions of the Rafale: the sing-seat Rafale C, combat-capable two-seat Rafale B and the carrier-capable Rafale M single-seater. In late May 2007, the F2 common upgrade was the latest standard for all versions of the Rafale, but only 25 aircraft had been so equipped. This posed a serious logistical issue for Canada's response to the unfolding crisis on the Korean Peninsula, as the central government of the D.P.R.K. appeared to be fracturing under the unrelenting conditions of drought, famine and sanctions. To make matters worse, Canada's only aircraft carrier dedicated to operations in the Pacific Ocean was undergoing a refit and its air wing was deep into a regeneration cycle. With ongoing deployments in Cape Verde (Mirage 2000-9s), Ascension Island and East Falkland Island (both with Tornado ADVs), Qatar (Tornado IDS GR.4s and Rafale C F1s) and the carrier HMCS Queen Elizabeth II on patrol in the Atlantic (with CF-18 A+ Hornets and Rafale M F1s), the Canadians cobbled together a force of F2 standard Rafale Bs, Cs and Ms to form 434 Squadron. 434 Sqdn had been decommissioned in 2000 after a long history of flying fighters and bombers since 1943.




As part of the UN's Operation Pacific Shield, 434 Squadron deployed to Ie Shima (an island off the coast of Okinawa and mostly occupied by the U.S. Marine Corps). 410 Squadron flying Mirage 2000Ds was deployed alongside the composite Rafale unit, with detachments of Viking CS-3K tankers and CS-3E EW aircraft in support  On the night of 20-21 June 2007, 434 Squadron launched 10 sorties and 410 Squadron 8 sorties in support of Operation Freedom Dawn (OFD). The stated mission of OFD was the enforcement of a UN Security Council resolution to establish a No-Fly Zone over the DPRK and to use "necessary means to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas" from government forces.



To this effect, two Rafale B F2s performed SEAD with jamming pods and Grey Vixen ALARM 2 missiles, four Rafale C F2s delivered eight Copper Cup Apache anti-runway cruise missiles and four Rafale M F2s each launched a single Stone Yard Taurus KEPD 350 hard-target penetrating cruise missile. Built by CAE, the Taurus KEPD 350 had only just entered service and, by the start of June 2007, only twenty-one full-scale production examples had been delivered, hence the low number of missiles launched on the night. The Mirage 2000Ds delivered Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs.



After launching their missiles, the Rafale C F2 and M F2 pilots swung into offensive counter-air duties, conducting escort and sweep for the Mirages of 410 Squadron. For air-to-air work, the Rafales were armed with a mix of four Crimson Frost MICA EM and two Crimson Night MICA IR missiles. No air-to-air targets were engaged and all aircrew and planes returned safely to Ie Shima.

[rickshaw]

 

[Tophe]

Great!
Is this an export success for the French Dassault company?
Or were the French Rafales an export success for Dassault-Canada? (on your planet)

[comrade harps]

Great!
Is this an export success for the French Dassault company?
Or were the French Rafales an export success for Dassault-Canada? (on your planet)

Neither.

On my planet Dassault fled the European Red revolutions of 1950 and set up shop in Canada. My Canada is a bit like France, a bit like Britain (also Red since 1950) and a bit like Canada.

Thanks for asking

[chrisonord]

Very nice build, one of my favourite aircraft.
Chris.