What has France brought to Syria?
Article By: Hadlee Simons
Tue, 17 Nov 2015 1:46 PMFrance has deployed several military jets to take part in stepped-up air strikes against the Islamic State.
This follows deadly attacks in Paris that claimed over 120 lives on Friday night.
So, much like our earlier look at Russia's aircraft in Syria, we wondered what kind of aircraft France has deployed against the self-proclaimed caliphate?
Dassault Rafale
The latest and greatest French military jet, the Rafale is a multi-role fighter, capable of precision bombing strikes too.
According to Foxtrot Alpha, there are currently six Rafales taking part in strikes, with another 20 expected to be available when the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle steams in soon.
The Rafale, which bears a resemblance to the Eurofighter Typhoon, has a top speed of Mach 1.8. It's also capable of carrying laser-guided bombs, anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, air-to-ground missiles and an ASMP nuclear missile.
Dassault Super Etendard
The oldest French attack jet taking part in operations, the Super Etendard is a carrier-borne aircraft that first flew in the 1970s. But the stalwart plane has since undergone extensive modernisation as part of the Super Étendard Modernisé programme.
The Super Etendard barely crosses Mach 1, but it gained a deadly reputation during the Falklands conflict, when Argentinian planes successfully destroyed two British ships with the aid of Exocet missiles.
The plane can also be fitted with laser designators (to "paint" targets for other jets), unguided rockets, air-to-ground missiles and an ASMP nuclear missile.
Dassault Mirage 2000
What MIGs are to Russia, Mirages are to France, being perhaps the most well-known French military aircraft.
The last major Mirage type to be produced, the Mirage 2000 is a multi-role fighter capable of reaching over 2500 kilometres per hour (Mach 2.2).
According to The Aviationist, France has deployed six of these planes in the Syrian region, in the form of three 2000D models and three 2000N models.
The Mirage 2000 is capable of carrying unguided rockets, anti-ship missiles, laser-guided bombs and one ASMP nuclear missile.
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