Dynamic and in sync departure of two Mirage 2000 during ëpervier- Photo by Loic Roulin
Being neighbouring nations France and Switzerland have various bilateral collaborations including in the defence sector. In the recent past, the Swiss Air operated French-originDassault Mirage IIIs and recently, France has acquired Swiss-origin Pilatus PC-21s. Mutual training is one the core elements of both nations and its importance could be clearly seen in recently conducted Épervier exercise, which translates as Sparrowhawk, conducted annually in either France or Switzerland at the airbases Schweizer Luftwaffe (SL, Swiss Air Force) and Armée de l’Air (AdlA, French Air Force).
A Payerne Hornet land while a fourship of ducklings Mirage 2000 are next in turn- Photo by Loic Roulin
Its origins are traced back to 1996 when two Swiss F/A-18s flew to the former home of Group de Chasse 01.002 (GC01.002, Fighter Group 01.002) Cigognes atBase AérienneDijonfor four days to conduct joint air defence missions alongside resident Mirage 2000-5Fs. This year, Épervier was conducted at the Swiss base of Payerne, home to aviation Wing 11 supporting two F/A-18 squadrons, one F-5 and a single air transport squadron. Their French counterparts deployed six Mirage 2000-5Fs of GC01.002,home-based at Base AérienneLuxieulfor which, the timing was convenient, as explained by French Director of the Exercise (DIREX) LtColAurélien, a veteran Mirage 2000 pilot with over 2500 flying hours of which 1100 ---- on the Mirage 2000 : “Initially, we operated for few days from Nancy Air Base, France but soon after,flew to Switzerland to join Épervier.”
Main aim of this exercise was to upgrade the level in air defence by flying Mixed Fighter Force Operations (MFFO) while being confronted by air-to-air threats in increasingly complex missions. “If you have the chance to duel against each other regularly and your aircraft are similar in capabilities, you have to come up with something new every time – but that is not as easy as it sounds,” stated Lt Col Aurélien. Explaining the various scenarios of the exercise, Lt Col Mauronstated that, “Each day, four waves were flown with alternative scenarios created by Swiss and French pilots. During the first and fourth wave of the day, normally smaller Air Combat Manoeuveres (ACM) were flown by four aircraft (two Hornets and two Mirages) employing 1-v-1 till 2-v-2 set ups as a maximum. The second and third waves were far bigger and more complex with up to fourteen aircraft involved to carry out various operations. For example, this morning, I flew a 6-v-6 mission where four French Mirages and two Hornets from Meiringenoperatedas Blue Air performing Defensive Counter Air (DCA) missions against six Red Air Hornets from Payerne. Red Air needed to challenge the tactics of Blue Air whose goal is to validate their own game plan. Because Red Air knew the game plan of Blue Air, both sides needed to adapt their tactics constantly depending on actual developments in the air.” A variety of missions were practiced during the week-long exercise and one among them was High Value Air Asset (HVAA) protection training for which a Pilatus PC-6 or PC-7 were used.
GC01.002 Mirage 2000 returns from the first mission of the day with a dummy MICA missle under its port wing- Photo by Remco Stalenhoef
Épervier provides value in more than one way for both nations, as it offers an opportunity to train jointly with a foreign nation and to test the procedures of its air force in an international environment. Crew interoperability is a keyword nowadays and this applies to both the pilots as well as ground crews.“Everybody benefits from this exercise. For the younger guys in the squadron, it is a good way to experience the aspects of a deployment to a friendly nation before they take over to the real ‘deal’. For them and also for the more experienced guys, it is good to see a different view on air defence and learn from each other both in the air as well as on the ground.” said Lt Col Aurélien. His Swiss colleague further added, “During the exercise, we can compare NATO and non-NATO procedures and exchange experiences such the French have from theirBaltic Air Policing missions in Eastern Europe.”
Flagship of the 18th Fighter Squadron sports a nice full colour tail- Photo by Remco Stalenhoef
The French and Swiss have a long history of training together. Throughout the year, the F/A-18s of Payerne and the Mirage 2000s of Luxieul fly with (and against) each other while operating from their respective home bases. Exchanges of pilots between combat squadrons as well as instructors with each other’s PC-21 training squadrons exist between both air forces. Swiss and French pilots also meet each other during the year-round exercises in Europe such as the Tactical Leadership Programme, Tiger Meet and Frisian Flag.
Text and photos Remco Stalenhoef