{"id":26,"date":"2010-01-06T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-01-06T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/2011\/09\/03\/saudi-in-france\/"},"modified":"2013-05-18T23:39:58","modified_gmt":"2013-05-18T22:39:58","slug":"saudi-in-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/saudi-in-france\/","title":{"rendered":"“Green Shield”: Arabian Autumn in France"},"content":{"rendered":"
Touch down! RSAF F-15C 506 lands after an air combat sortie. Note the ACMI (Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation) pod. The results of Green Shield dogfights over French skies where not revealed, but the Arm\u00e9e de l\u00b4Air confronted RSAF with an impressive force of Mirage 2000-5F and Rafales (all photos by author).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From 5 to 16 October 2009, a joint Franco-Saudi exercise called \u201cGreen Shield\u201d (Bouclier Vert in French) took place at Base A\u00e9rienne 102 near Dijon. The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF or Al Quwwat al Jawwiya as Sa’udiya) deployed for the event with a complement of six \u2018Eagles\u2019; five F-15C\u2019s and one F-15D and 175 support staff. RSAF 5 Squadron is normally based in Taif (King Fahd AB) on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, protecting the Kingdom from intruders across the Red Sea.<\/p>\n

The French Air Force (Armee de l’Air) participated with Escadron de Chasse 01.002 Cigognes with their Mirage 2000s and the Alpha Jets of Escadron d’Entra\u00eenment 02.002 “C\u00f4te d’Or”, both based at Dijon. Other participants were Rafales of EC 01.007 “Provence” based at Saint-Dizier and an E-3F AWACS from Avord, who flew from their respective home bases. Furthermore an EC725 Caracal, two Gazelles and a Puma were deployed to Dijon.<\/p>\n

This deployment was the second European deployment of the RSAF in recent years, the first one being the \u201cGreen Flag\u201d exercise (with Tornado IDS aircraft) in September 2007 at RAF Lossiemouth, UK. Tankers and transports for this year\u2019s exercise were located at Istres in the South of France, with Hercules transports making daily visits to Dijon. The Green Shield “part 2” exercise is a follow-up from the first joint exercise in 2007 when the French air force deployed to Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

As French Air Force General Hugues Hendel explained at the 9 October press conference: \u201cThe objective of Green Flag is to develop interoperability, compare skills and share working methods of the two air forces. Next to that, strengthening the bilateral Franco-Saudi ties and friendship between the two Nations is also of great importance\u201d.
During Green Shield, two missions were planned every day (one in the morning and one in the afternoon).<\/p>\n

Air superiority fighters: Royal Saudi Air Force<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
F-15C 506.<\/td>\nF-15C 506 and 510.<\/td>\nF-15D 533.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Sets of two F-15s, two Mirage 2000-5Fs and Alpha Jets flew joint missions, playing out different scenarios. Later in the exercise Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions were flown. Mirages and F-15s flew Combat Air Patrols covering the EC725 Caracal helicopters which performed the actual extraction of the “downed pilot(s)”.<\/p>\n

With the Rafales from St. Dizier playing opposing forces, the French hosts were able to show off the capabilities of their newest fighter to their guests. The RSAF is now entering the next phase of the modernization of their front line fighters, as their fleets of F-15C\/D and F-5E\/F aircraft are reaching the end of their life cycle. The Dassault Rafale is definitely in the running as a replacement, together with other potential forerunners, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the all new Boeing \u201cSilent Eagle\u201d, a stealthy looking design based upon the F-15E, with outward canted tailfins like the F-22.<\/p>\n

On 12 October a VIP day was held, with three French Air Force generals, Defence and Industry officials welcoming Prince Khalid Al Saoud, the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom. The Saudi delegation was flown in in their Boeing BBJ of 1 SQ \/ Saudi Royal Flight, recording a rare visit of this jet to continental Europe.<\/p>\n

Throughout the period, journalists, photographers and spotters were welcomed to the base and its surroundings, spent time at the fence and even a press opportunity was organized. Although security remains an issue at some bases in France, Dijon and many others have become more tolerant towards aviation enthusiasts with local police only checking ID\u2019s. With Saudi and French pilots waving friendly, farmers waving friendly, gendarmes friendly, everybody friendly ….it made some of us ask ourselves: are we in France? We sure like this better than the more \u2018repressive\u2019 decades of the past.<\/p>\n

French counterparts: Arm\u00e9e de l\u00b4Air<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mirage 2000B 523\/115KJ.<\/td>\nAlpha Jet E E87\/102-LC.<\/td>\nMirage 2000-5F 47\/102-EP.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The occasion for the visit was first class, the first – and most likely last – time we were to see Saudi Air Force F-15 deploy here. Also, spotting possibilities are great at Dijon. It’s a pity that this base is to close down as soon as 2011 as part of budgetary measures.<\/p>\n

RSAF Aircraft deployed to France for Green Shield<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Unit<\/th>\nType<\/th>\nSerials<\/th>\nRemarks<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
1st Sqn \/ Royal Flight<\/td>\nB-737-8DP<\/td>\nHZ-102<\/a><\/td>\nBBJ for VIP transport.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\nVC-130H<\/td>\nHZ-132<\/a><\/td>\nOperated by Saudi Arabian Cargo.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2nd Wing \/ 5th Sqn<\/td>\nF-15C<\/td>\n501, 505, 506, 510 and 512<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\nF-15D<\/td>\n533<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4th Sqn<\/td>\nC-130H<\/td>\n472, 473, 1623<\/a><\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18th Sqn<\/td>\nKE-3A<\/td>\nUnknown x 2<\/td>\nTanker\/ transports deployed to BA-125 at Istres.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n

The author would like to thank French Air Force \/ Sirpa Air for the additional information on this exercise and the opportunity offered to the press during this deployment.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During October 2009 the Royal Saudi Air Force deployed haf a dozen F-15 and 175 supporting military personnel to Dijon (France), for the second edition of Green Shield training. Robert Nispeling from Karo Aviation travel to Dijon and reports from Base A\u00e9rienne 102.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1975,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-defence"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/p-26.jpg?fit=620%2C336&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1JKRl-q","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4062,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/anatolian-eagle-20132-at-konya-afb-turkey\/","url_meta":{"origin":26,"position":0},"title":"Anatolian Eagle 2013\/2 at Konya AFB Turkey","author":"Robert Nispeling - Karo Aviation","date":"Friday 6 June 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"At the end of 20th century it became clear that air forces would continue to play a major role in deterrence and in the determination of the outcome of future wars. 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