Mirage F1m

[Archibald]

Captain Jose Bedacarratz had took off 40 minutes earlier from Rio Gallegos, loaded with two exocets, a ventral drop tank and two Magic 1 AAMs.
Such a load was possible only because the target of the day was much closer from the coast than the ordinary target - British task force near the Falklands-.
Its aim was the "other" task force heading for the falklands. Latest news had send the Argies pilots into despair. Another country had entered war against them. Bedaccaratz and its wingman, Alonzo Cafebar were heading to their target 80km east. 15 km behind them were a dozen of Skyhawks.  At 70 km, they descended to 15 m above the waves to minimize the risk of detection. But suprise went to naught... suddendly Bedacarratz saw a brilliant lightning hundred meters away - its wingman had been cleared of the sky-
Panic striken messages from the Skyhawk seems to indicate that the attack squadron was crippled. As the only fighter left in the force, Bedacarratz was torn between its duty - firing those damned Exocets- and what he wanted to do - came to the rescue of the A-4s. He decided in favor of the first option, duty. He climbed at 1500 ft and fired its two exocets at the bigger target apearing on its radar screen - surely the carrier .  Then he turned back to the Skyhawk formation or what was left of it. He quickly understood that the A-4s had been jumped by ennemies fighters. After dropping its 2200L drop tank, he entered the fight, fired a Magic 1 at one of the ennemies fighters. Alas parameters were totally unadequate and the missile missed its target. He  opened gun fire at an ennemy, surprising him. He noticed impacts on the rear fuselage and thanks to its,  a threatened  Skyhawk broke out and escaped to the continent and security. He started a dogfight with the rogue pilot but was quickly overrun, beeing less agile and having less power. He desesperately watched behind him and heard an explosion. He lose control of its Mirage V, ejected and fall on an horribly cold ocean. He inflated its raft and waited.
Fight had ceased above him, and he asked how many skyhawks had survived the assault.
He suddendly heard a huge noise above him and was picked up by a Super Frelon. The big chopper headed to the Jeanne D'arc helicopter carrier.

This 16th May 1982, France had entered Falkland war brilliantly. Lt Rafael Carton (YUM!!!) had killed two Skyhawks with Super 530F. Its wingmen had scored, too, one of them shooting down Bedacarratz Mirage V.
"Merde, mon dieu, what a waste" thought one of French pilots while coming back to the Foch.  "We build these fighters and sold them to Argentina, and I shot them down with a french aircraft, too...well c'est la vie".

He parked its Mirage F-1M, opened the canopy and get down on the flight deck of the Foch. He walked to the islandfor debriefing,  were he heard that an argentinian pilot was in custody on board the Jeanne D'Arc.
He joined the hangar, and painted a kill marking on the nose of it fighter - he didn't know that it was only the first of an interesting serie of three...

[B777LR]

French kill french!

[Archibald]

You must remember that in june 1984 a Saudi Eagle killed an Iranian Phantom    

Don't know if multiples entries are allowed, becaue I've got two more projects on the style...  

[Maverick]

Killer backstory Archie!

Mav

[Archibald]

More pics!

This naval Mirage F1E (with M53 ) is part of my alt -foreign navies history. In this universe, many medium-powers become carrier owners (circa 1970)  thanks to Anglo-French Clemenceau carriers OR upgraded Essex.

Those 30 000 tons carriers are limited to 20 tons aircrafts such as A-4 and A-7 for attack.
Only two fighters can operate from these carriers, a naval Mirage F1 and an upgraded Crusader (with a TF-41 Spey turbofan and AIM-7 Sparrow AAMs, I built one in Indian Navy markings   ).

AEW is fulfilled by second-hand E-1B Tracer, later upgraded to the E-1C Turbotracer (APS-125 radar and 1800 hp turboprops).

COD and ASW role are fulfilled by helicopters.

[Mossie]

French kill french!

Also, the British were pitted against their own systems which had been supplied to Argentina before the Junta took power, including Canberra's, Tigercat SAM's & even Type 42 Destroyers, you could maybe even count the Puma.  The British shot down two Canberra's with Sea Dart & the Tigercat may well have been rendered useless due to technical knowledge.

Aviation Navale F.1, nice ideas Archie, love the kill markings!  What's the background to the French involvement, did Maggie swing her handbag a bit too hard in Mitterand's direction???

[Archibald]

What's the background to the French involvement, did Maggie swing her handbag a bit too hard in Mitterand's direction???

talking about Thatcher... with chirac retirement, its best quotes surface again. I just can't resist to narrate you this one...

1986 : Mitterrand president, Chirac PM. At an european summit Margaret negociate hard to save GB interests. And here come Chirac which say (in french)

"Qu'est ce qu'elle veut de plus cette mégère, mes couilles sur un plateau?"

which translate as something like "if this old cow want something more, I'll offer her my balls on a cup "

Backstory of French involvement in falkland war to come.  

[Mossie]

Great quote Archie!!!     Love or hate her, that's Maggie down to a tee!  Have you ever noticed in pics how nervous all the male European leaders look???  If Chirac had offered his balls, she'd have hapilly dined on them, then ask for the rest.....

Looking forward to the back story!

[Archibald]

France in Falkland war

In 1971, Argentina needed a replacement for its Gloster Meteor and F-86F. The country compared a vast number of types, including Drakken, Mirage IIIE, Lightning, Phantom and F-5. The F-5 was rejected as its performances were too low, and the Fuerza Aerea preferred the Phantom. But Congress said "no".

So the FAA reduced its choice to the Lightning and Mirage III. In the end,
Mirage IIIE was preferred.
But things were to changed...  the Mirage III already showed its age at the time, so Dassault proposed another deal. Argentina could have Mirage F-1, a much better aircraft, but not until 1974. As an interim measure, Dassault and the French government proposed 50 Mirage V.
These aircraft had been mothballed after the French embargo against Israel. Then, the AdA had reluctantly bought these aircrafts which lacked radar. So they were happy to get ride of them...

50 Mirage V were send to Argentina in the two following years. Ironically, the FAA received Nesher 10 years later... which were Mirage V produced in Israel, to replaced the embargoed French machines!

35 Mirage F1s were delivered to Argentina in the late 70's. The Mirage V were upgraded with SE radar, armed with Exocet, and went to the Armada as land based antiship bombers.

So everything seem to go well between France and Argentina , but this changed with the dictatorship of march 1976...
As the dictatorship become more and more severe, citizens of foreign countries narrated acts of intimidation when talking to "suspects". Some French citizens were murdered, including nuns. When asked for inquiry or explanations, the Junta delayed or cancelled  trials. The military regime become more and more paranoid, rearming the country at full speed. It also sought scapegoats outside Argentina, targeting Europe (Spain, -accused of ignoring problems of Argentina-;
GB because of the Falklands (a serious clash happened in 1976)
and France which Mirages were downgraded because of the unstable nature of the regime, and difficulties to pay. The Mirage F1EA ended as a "castrated" variant, basically a F1A with Mirage IIIE weapon system and no R-530 medium range AAM.
Chile was also considered as the great enemy, nearly leading to a war on the Magellan straits in December 1978.

On 10th may 1981, Mitterand become president. He immediately sided with
left-wing opponents of Argentina, which were tracked by the Junta. Tensions rose again and again, until the explosion.
What happened would never be known exactly. On 28th December1981, a congregation of French nuns was slaughtered. Argentinean government promised an inquiry which quickly led to fanatics, left-wing group. But suspicions over the Argentinean military and militias grown quickly, and finally a suspect was found. Argentina firmly refused its extradition for a trial.

This led to growing tensions between France and Argentina, exacerbated by many incidents over the following months . So deliveries of Mirage F1 were nearly stopped , as upgrades of Mirage V and Exocets deliveries. This was a true trauma for the Junta, which threatened French residents leaving in Argentina.
On 13th January 1982, "demonstrators" devastated the French embassy and set fire to the block.
French government replied by sending the TCD Orage off shore Argentina coast, for evacuation of French citizens.
After that diplomatic relations were broken between the two countries.

When Argentina invaded the Falklands on 19th March 1982, it was hoped that France would at least allow Dassault to resume and accelerate its aircraft deliveries to Argentina, as the country had paid the aircrafts.

Instead, French government announced that Mirage F1 orders would be now definitively cancelled (as spares, upgrade and missile for the Mirage V fleet).
This was too much for Galtieri , which declared war to France! It was hoped that the country wouldn't answer to this provocation, as it had no interest at all in such conflict.
On 14th april 1982 a bomb blast devasted the Gallerie Lafayette in Paris, killing 12 people. Others atempts failed, and inquiry led to Argentinian agents send to France, while others were found to discuss with Aerospatiale and Dassault high-ranking staff for deliveries of more Exocets or Mirage via Ecuador or  Chilea.

French government decided that it would help GB retaking the Islands by sending a limited task force with the British ships.

French task force was composed of the following ships

Foch carrier (12 Mirage F1EM, 24 A-7E(FN) Corsair II, 4 Gannet AEW, 4 helicopters)
Jeanne d'Arc helicopter cruiser (Eight Alouette-III AS-12 and  Gazelle HOT, 2 Super Frelon)
Colbert cruiser, Suffren. Kersaint, Du Chayla, Dupetit-Thouars anti-aicrafts escorts, armed with Masurca and Tartars SAMs.
Four F-67 / F-70 ASW Frigates (Lynx)  
Two Agosta SSK
Meuse, Durance Var tankers
and –this was kept secret at the time-
Rubis nuclear attack sub ( The ship was officially commissioned in February 1983).

[Mossie]

Worth waiting for Archie!  Good stuff!

[Archibald]

Mossie, this backstory is actually a mix of what happened in the 80's with Iran and Lybia.
But main line of inspiration had been the situation in Ivory Coast (I thought about Guy André Kiefer murder).

In the late 70's, France sold nuclear technology to Iran via EURODIF, a nuclear consortium.  Then the Shah was ousted of power and help ceased. Iran avenged that by a serie of bombing in Paris in autumn 1986. Former EURODIF boss George Besse -at the time boss of Renault- was also murdered...

Don't know if multiples entries are allowed on this GB ?    Got two more aeronavale projects on my head...  

[B777LR]

You must remember that in june 1984 a Saudi Eagle killed an Iranian Phantom    

What happened? Did the Iranian F-4 stray into saudi airspace? I wasnt born back then, so i wouldnt know!

[Mossie]

I wasnt born back then, so i wouldnt know!

Awwww, bless his little cotton socks!  [Pinches cheek & ruffles hair like an annoying Aunty smilie]

[Archibald]

You must remember that in june 1984 a Saudi Eagle killed an Iranian Phantom   

What happened? Did the Iranian F-4 stray into saudi airspace? I wasnt born back then, so i wouldnt know!

You guessed correctly! The Phantom got lost into the Saudi airspace,  a saudi F-15 came and "killed the father" as they say in psychanalisis..  

[Archibald]

Great quote Archie!!!     Love or hate her, that's Maggie down to a tee!  Have you ever noticed in pics how nervous all the male European leaders look???  If Chirac had offered his balls, she'd have hapilly dined on them, then ask for the rest.....

Looking forward to the back story!

       

Didn't noticed your post the other day! Hell, I just can't imagine a chirac / Thatcher hybrid