French Rafale jets take off from Afghan base for first time

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rock45

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French Rafale jets take off from Afghan base for first time


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KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (AFP) — Two French Rafale fighter jets took off from the main NATO air base in southern Afghanistan for the first time Monday in support of international efforts against extremists.
The multi-purpose jets, which arrived at the base in the volatile southern province of Kandahar last week, set off on an air patrol with French Mirages also stationed at the Kandahar Air Field, an AFP correspondent said.
Rafale aircraft, in service for two years, took part last year in a four-month mission in support of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) but were then based in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.
Their relocation to the Kandahar Air Field, a base for 11,000 soldiers from 25 countries, has put them in one of the most volatile parts of Afghanistan where a Taliban-led insurgency was at its fiercest last year.
A Canadian general commands ISAF forces in southern Afghanistan, where French jets operate alongside Dutch F-16s and British Harriers.
Canada has warned it will withdraw its 2,500 troops at the start of 2009 unless NATO sends 1,000 extra troops, as well as helicopters, to back their mission in Kandahar.
France is in talks with Canada about deploying French reinforcements in the south, Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Sunday.
France's 1,515 soldiers in ISAF are based mostly in Kabul and surrounding areas.

Link
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j2u8xmKyTE4Cg6OptZOjDLJvs9fg
 
Rafale

I think the aircraft will do fine it's just produced 8 to 10 years to late and the French government made a mess out of the whole process. Some of the time delays and problems were government funding cuts which caused huge delays to begin with. The radar, range, payload, etc are all fine on the Rafale, a little more power wouldn't be bad but overall it does well it is lighter then a Typhoon . It matches up well against a Su-27/30 like it's designed for and since it's newer it's does certain things a little better then the teen series in general. The cost is the problem I've been reading up on on it lately and they seem solid, a little thing here or there but no fighters are perfect.
 
Look at those bad boys move! The Rafale is one the world's best Naval and Land based multi-role aircraft. I have to hand it to Dassualt, they made a good freakin' airplane. I would go on the facts, but thats beyond the point.

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The French sending troops and planes to the war in Afghanistan would be a big help to what I hear. I hear that the Canadians as well as other countries that are involved in Afghanistan are under a lot of stress right now.
I keep hear things along the lines of (nation such and such, may pull out troops from Iraq/Afghanistan).

If the world powers do start giving up, then not only will they be broke and handling a self inflicted defeat. They will have to sit in the shame of watching one by one, as third world extremists call them Paper Tigers...
 
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