Gen. Stephane Abrial
French Air Force Chief
Gen. Stéphane Abrial, chief of the Air Force, is bringing the new Rafale frontline fighter into service as aircrews fly combat missions in Afghanistan and forward air controllers wait for delivery of video transmission equipment, expected in the autumn, that allows tighter air-ground coordination with allied forces. He holds industry to delivering the A400M airlifter to specification. The delivery delay forces the service to keep 40-year-old Transall airframes up in the air for the flight hours and operations needed for vital pilot certification.
Gen. Stephane Abrial is chief of the French Air Force.
Meanwhile, Abrial is in line for a top job in NATO's Allied Command Transformation, an appointment seen as a reward for France's return to the integrated military command structure. Abrial attended the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1974 and won his fighter pilot's wings in 1976.
Q. Given that a Western air force has not engaged in an aerial dogfight for decades, what is the French Air Force's main mission?
A. The main mission is deterrence because the nation's survival is at stake. We're responsible for the airborne component with the Mirage 2000N and soon, the Rafale with the ASMP/A missile. There is national air security, which guarantees sovereignty of the skies. We assign significant resources in detection, command and control, and interception.
There's intervention. As you say, for years there hasn't been an aerial engagement. Does that mean there will never be one? I don't think so. One day, there'll be an urgent need for opposition in the third dimension. And there has been the emergence of new actors with drones. The drone marks the beginning of "robotization." Robotization permits access to the third dimension by new actors. We're beginning to see that in conflicts, such as in South Lebanon, where there has been an interception of an unmanned drone by a piloted aircraft.
Access to the third dimension becomes easier for nonstate actors and that's why it's important to ensure the primary mission, mastery of the sky, because without that mastery, it's much harder to conduct other aerial operations, and without mastery, you can't impede the adversary's movements.
Q. You recently told the corps of military engineers that to be fully interoperable in the Afghan theater, you need the Rover terminal. Will the Damocles targeting and Reco NG reconnaissance pods be compatible?
A. We're totally interoperable. We demonstrate that every day in Afghanistan with the Rafale and Mirage 2000D, which are fully integrated into the network, into communications, command and control, in the concept of operations and planning. We're able to exchange information in real time between the air and ground. What's lacking is a piece of equipment which allows real-time video transmission between air and ground. This equipment appeared recently and imposed itself extremely quickly in operations. We were a bit late because we started off with exchanges of fixed images. Steps are being taken. I have every hope we will begin to equip our forces this autumn. Our approach is to apply lessons from the battlefield to equipment.
Q. What do you say to critics who say that with engagements in complex urban environments, UAVs and precision-guided missiles, there is less need for a Cold War weapon like the Rafale?
A. The operations we're doing in Afghanistan show the contrary. The Rafale is the only one in its category which is truly multimission. It is equipped with fully fused sensors, with a remarkable man-machine interface, the only one of its generation to be combat-proven. On its third campaign in Afghanistan, what we see is that the choices that were made correspond to operational needs, with the capacity to be inserted into a complex network, with great autonomy, with highly precise sensors and a range of weapons which allows response to all situations.
It is a new aircraft designed with an open architecture, which allows for evolution to meet future strategic environments. The fighter has a long life ahead of it, working in a mixed environment with the drone - which I never call a pilotless aircraft, because there is always a pilot flying remotely.
Q. Connectivity is seen as key to the F-22 and F-35, which are described as flying combat systems. How far are you in developing a concept of operations which fully uses the Rafale's sensors and communications?
A. The progress the Rafale brings is that it is equipped with a large number of sensors capable of receiving and transmitting real-time information. The information gathered by the sensors is easily usable by the pilot and neighboring aircraft thanks to command-and-control aircraft and satellite communications.
Q. Does the greater workload require more twin-seater Rafales?
A. Yes. Our concept is a mixed fleet with single and twin seaters. The final ratio has not been decided. We're working on a lot of the lessons from Afghanistan. The initial choice was to acquire twin seaters for training/transformation and the toughest missions, such as nuclear deterrence, and complex and demanding operations. The Rafale has an interface that allows it to be used by a single pilot, but there are situations where two on board is a plus. The ratio of twin seaters at the start is high as first we need to train, and second, we're equipping the nuclear squadrons, and we need to acquire experience. Eventually, a ratio of 30 [percent] to 60 percent.
Q. What does the A400M's delay mean? Would you acquire the C-17?
A. The A400M is a good program. I am a very determined supporter of the aircraft, as long as the specifications we have demanded are respected. The aircraft was designed to be the backbone of French projection, a single plane to perform tactical and strategic missions. I can't go back. The delay will have a major effect. We should have received the first two planes in the second half of this year.
The heart of the problem is the tactical mission. We have to maintain capability and know-how, which is easily lost. With the number of aircraft falling, I have a smaller number of crews. Training for transport crews takes a long time to get the highest level of qualification, so I need to fly and train crews today needed for the A400M.
Look at the spectrum of projection. There is light cargo, with short distance, light volumes, and which permits training. There is an aging fleet of Transalls, some of which are 40 years old. I will prolong the life of some of those. We will look at the possibility of acquiring or leasing some tactical transports. I'll work with my counterparts to see if they have capability available.
For long range and large volumes, there is the C-17, which offers a lot of capability, but it's very expensive. No decision has been taken either way.
Q. What about the C-130J as an interim airlift solution?
A. There is no equivalent product to the C-130J in the tactical segment in the market. We're studying the possibility of getting access to the the C-130J, either a new buy or leasing, among the interim solutions are also buying second-hand aircraft or a service contract.
Q. And what about strategic needs?
A. The strategic need is the least difficult to resolve because we have strategic aircraft, such as the A310 and A340, the C-135 tankers which can carry cargo. In the future we will have the MRTT [multirole tanker transport] which will carry a lot of cargo. We have the Strategic Airlift [SALIS] contract, which has just been extended, and there is always the ad hoc lease if we need.
We can envisage buying one or two large carriers, which could later be converted to tankers. The C-17 is obviously part of the study. As head of the Air Force, I would rather not have to create a micro fleet and so we're looking at all the possibilities, such as acquiring with a partner, or a lease, or as part of the SALIS group of countries within NATO. We're talking a lot with the British.
Q. Would you accept a lower specification for the A400M?
A. I'm not prepared to accept a definitive retreat on the specifications. On the other hand, if I'm guaranteed that the plane will eventually meet specifications, I'm ready to discuss how to get there.
Q. The word is that you have been appointed to head NATO's Allied Command Transformation, in Norfolk, Va. How do you see the post?
A. I don't comment on rumors. Transformation is indispensable. The Air Force began its transformation a few years ago and continues with the Defense Ministry's reforms.
If we're to operate side by side, we have to have the right interface to be interoperable, not necessarily the same equipment. The danger is those who lag behind won't be able to work with others. Everybody should be able to work together and make a contribution.
The vision is that of delivery of a service. You have to be able to deliver at any time what someone needs. The complex network is an ideal concept. We're living that in Afghanistan right now, with the Rafale, or Mirage 2000, or occasionally Mirage F1, with our drones, and our transports with precision airdrops. All these people dialogue with ground forces, so the third dimension brings the efficiency, quantity and timeliness needed by the ground.
-- By Pierre Tran in Paris.
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