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Strategic Air Forces Command
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Strategic Air Forces Command
The Strategic Air Forces (French: Forces Aériennes Stratégiques, FAS; Commandement des Forces Aériennes Stratégiques, CFAS or COMFAS) is a command of the French Air and Space Force. It was created on 14 January 1964, and directs France's nuclear bombardment force. The headquarters are at Taverny Air Base.
Général de division aérienne Stéphane Virem was appointed commander on 16 September 2024, having been appointed deputy commander in 2023. He took over from General Jérôme Bellanger, in command from 2021 to 2024, who was appointed Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force.
Initially, the Force de frappe consisted of only of the 92 Bombardment Wing (Escadre), established in 1955 and operating 40 Sud Aviation Vautour IIB bombers. These were considered marginal for a strategic bomber role and work began almost immediately on a replacement. In May 1956 a requirement for what became the Dassault Mirage IV bomber was drawn up; this bomber was designed to carry nuclear gravity bombs over targets in the Eastern bloc at supersonic speeds and was declared operational in October 1964.
In May 1964, Genéral Marie, FAS commander, was replaced by Général Philippe Maurin, former commander of the Tactical Air Forces (FATAC). General Maurin later became French Air Force chief of staff in 1967.
The first alert by a Dassault Mirage IV armed with AN-11 bombs, and a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker was executed on October 8, 1964: from that point, a permanent alert was maintained. In addition, the French aircraft carrier Verdun was envisaged to have deployed bomber aircraft at sea.
In April 1965, an intermediate-range ballistic missile launch base, part of the Strategic Air Forces was established. It was set up on the plateau d'Albion, Air Base 200 Apt-Saint-Christol (French: base aérienne 200 Apt-Saint-Christol) and equipped with underground launch missile silos. It was operational from August 2, 1971, until dismantling on September 16, 1996.
In the spring of 1966, the deterrent force reached the strength of nine squadrons. In 1973, this deterrence force comprised 60 Mirage IV spread out among nine bases in metropolitan France.
The Mirage IV-P version armed with the Air-sol moyenne portée (ASMP-A) missile entered service in 1986. From 1988, Mirage 2000N began to enter service. All bomber versions of the Mirage IV were retired by 1996.
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Strategic Air Forces Command
The Strategic Air Forces (French: Forces Aériennes Stratégiques, FAS; Commandement des Forces Aériennes Stratégiques, CFAS or COMFAS) is a command of the French Air and Space Force. It was created on 14 January 1964, and directs France's nuclear bombardment force. The headquarters are at Taverny Air Base.
Général de division aérienne Stéphane Virem was appointed commander on 16 September 2024, having been appointed deputy commander in 2023. He took over from General Jérôme Bellanger, in command from 2021 to 2024, who was appointed Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force.
Initially, the Force de frappe consisted of only of the 92 Bombardment Wing (Escadre), established in 1955 and operating 40 Sud Aviation Vautour IIB bombers. These were considered marginal for a strategic bomber role and work began almost immediately on a replacement. In May 1956 a requirement for what became the Dassault Mirage IV bomber was drawn up; this bomber was designed to carry nuclear gravity bombs over targets in the Eastern bloc at supersonic speeds and was declared operational in October 1964.
In May 1964, Genéral Marie, FAS commander, was replaced by Général Philippe Maurin, former commander of the Tactical Air Forces (FATAC). General Maurin later became French Air Force chief of staff in 1967.
The first alert by a Dassault Mirage IV armed with AN-11 bombs, and a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker was executed on October 8, 1964: from that point, a permanent alert was maintained. In addition, the French aircraft carrier Verdun was envisaged to have deployed bomber aircraft at sea.
In April 1965, an intermediate-range ballistic missile launch base, part of the Strategic Air Forces was established. It was set up on the plateau d'Albion, Air Base 200 Apt-Saint-Christol (French: base aérienne 200 Apt-Saint-Christol) and equipped with underground launch missile silos. It was operational from August 2, 1971, until dismantling on September 16, 1996.
In the spring of 1966, the deterrent force reached the strength of nine squadrons. In 1973, this deterrence force comprised 60 Mirage IV spread out among nine bases in metropolitan France.
The Mirage IV-P version armed with the Air-sol moyenne portée (ASMP-A) missile entered service in 1986. From 1988, Mirage 2000N began to enter service. All bomber versions of the Mirage IV were retired by 1996.