Armed Forces of the World

French
Air Force
Non-combatant units
Working in close collaboration with the fighting
branches of l'Arm6e de I'Air are three more com-
mands specializing in transport, training and tele-
communications, all of them of vital importance to a
high-speed, high-technology air force.
The term 'transport' covers a multitude of varying
roles, and for the Commandement du Transport
A6rien Militaire (CoTAM) this means strategic and
tactical airlift, communicatlons, SAR and general
duties by small units supporting garrisons in over-
seas possessions.
Flagships of the fleet are the Douglas DC-8s em-
ployed on long-range or strategic transport f lights as
far as the French nuclear test centre in the Pacific.
Operating in both long- and short-range roles, the
Transall C.160 has been in squadron service since
1967, presently equipping five units with a slxth in
imminent prospect. Should this appear to be the
result of slow production, it must be pointed out that
the last of 53 C.'1 60F variants was delivered to ET 61 France's national air display team, the Patrouille Commandement des Ecoles de l'Arm6e de l'Air (CEAA)
in 1963, whereupon the three assembly lines in deFrance, are basedwith theirAlphaJets atthe Untt Name Aircraft Base
France and West Germany were closed down. Ecole de I'Air in Provence. The team is part of 1/8 Saintonge AphaJerE
EC BA 120 r|eaaa_s:_:
Groupement d'lnstruction 3 I 2 of the Training 2a Nce
F( Apra-erF Caza., weaa: - i:-:
However, orders were placed for an updated ver- G1312 Ecoledel'Ar Magisrer oas c:-: _ _:
sion. the C.1 60NG (Nouvelle G6n6ration). the f irst of Command of the Armee de l'Air. AtphaJet E

25 for Ef 64 being handed over to the unit early in CADl020 BL70 :.::_.- i-
oat Commandement du Transport 46rien Militaire (CoTAM) Jod.l 40 \dlon de Pro!e1. e : .: i .._ -
1

At a lower level. light transports are operated by Untt Name Aircraft Base Bole
''.;
EL41 Verdun Broussard, BA 28 Norat as, :-:_ s::_
1 commuficatlons
three units in the Paris area forVlP communications, Paris Metz Frescaty Gl313 Ecoledes
Broussard s -::::
Magster 8E145 -s:--:::'
of which GLAM 1/60, the Groupe des Liaisons EL43 Brouc'd.d. BA 106 .onmunicdrons
Moniteurs Ferafd
CJermont ---a- -a
Par s, Xingu Bordeaux-
A6riennes Ministerielles, regularly carries govern- CAP 1O Auinal -.-:: -;
M6r gnac GE314 Ecolede AlphaJetE
ment officials, including the President and visiting EL44 Mistral Bro!ssard, 8A114 communcatons Chasse RF 7Nq
:_: _ _:
Paris, N262,
dignitaries. Xingu
St
Tours

1/44 .-
Broussard Symphorien ::---l ::::
Most of the rotary-wing fleet is concentrated ELAS Puma, BA 126 SAR/commun - Paris
Alouette So enzara cat ons GE 315 Magister ... .--. - - a
within EH 67 at five bases, each of its component GAM 50 Noratlas, BAlB1 transpoft BE 709
.,- ' -
CAP 1O
Alouette ll StDen support Cognac
squadrons having a combination of A6rospatiale (R-6union)
s
Chateaubernard
Broussard aa_".=,_',-, __
Alouette lls, Alouette llls and A6rospatiale Pumas to ETOM 52 Puma, Noumea. New transport GE316 Norarlas BAl01 '....'.'-.- --
Alouette ll Caledon a suppoft -
meet local requirements. such as EH416l's respon- ETOM 55 Ouessant
Tou ouse Franc6za
Norat as, BA 160 transpon GE319 X ngu BEl02
sibility for support and security at the 53 I R BM base. Alouete I DakarYofl suppoft Avord
GAM 56 Vaucluse Noratlas, BA 105 commun cations
The AA requires 50 A6rospatiale Ecureuil 2s for Twrn Oter, Evreux Fauv lle
Alouette ll replacement, the first of these having ETOM 58
Commandement des Transmissions de l'Arm6e de l,Air
Pointe b P tre transpoft (CTAA)
entered service in 1983. Alouete ll (Guyana) suppon
Six overseas squadrons include three with both GLAM /60 1 Caravelle, BA 107 VIP transpoft Aircraft Base a..
Fa con 20, V llacoub ay- EE 5l Aubrac DC Bsarig BA 105 s.-: : -:: ::-;:
fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, although ETOM Falcon 50, Veizy L. P-\-L"uv e
58 in French Guyana has a detachment of C.160Fs EE 54 Dunkerque \ordr.ds. BA 28
Dauph n 2 Marr "'- dl)
at its disposal, as has GAM 50 on the island of ET3/60 Estere DC 8€0170 Paris-Roissy stralegic EdC57 Commercy \ota las. BA 07 1 : -
transpofi Falcon 20 Vil acoublay,V6i
R6union in the lndian Ocean. The three 46rospatiale ET1/61 Touraine TransalC 160 transport
zv

Caravelles of ETOM 82 support the nuclear test site EI2/61 Franche Transall C 1 60 8A123 transpo(
at Mururoa Atoll in the Pacific, whilst ETOM g8 Comt6 Ori6ans Bricy Etat Maior de L'Arm6e de l'Air (MAA, or Air Staff HOI
ET3;61 Poitou TransallC 160 transpod
Un.t Ndme 4 lodlt :: .
forms part of the French presence defending ET 1163 Noratlas. N262, BA]O] fanspodOCLi
CEAM -.., vaTous
Ba"p
BAI]B - .-.. .:
Twin Otter Tou ouse-
Djibouti against the territorial ambltions of Somalia. Ef2163 Vercors Norat as FGncaza t€trsport MonLde-l"4ar:a-
ET 1/64 B6arn Transall NG BA ]05 transpod
(incorporatesCAFDA controlledEC24/jlSandtransc:::,:::- :' -:-
ETL26i 1't 8)
Training changes EI2t64 Anjou Noratlas Evre!x Fauvi le transport
ET I /65 Venddme Falcon 20. communicatlons
BAl07
Two basic categories of entrant are trained by N262
Vil acoublay-
ET2165 Ramboui let Paris, commun cations
CEAA, regular officers and active-duty reservists, Broussard
V6lizy

the former attending the Ecole de l'Air for a three- EH l/67 Pyr6ndes Puma, BAl20 helicopter
year study course which includes 145 to 160 hours
Alouette lli lll Cazaux transpoft .-a: * -:-, a'-'a
EH2l61 Va my Alouete r'l 8A113 hel copter
of flying in the 46rospatiale Magister. Reservists go St Dizier transport CIEH
Robinson
first to Gl 313 for 20 hours of grading on the Mudry EH 3/67 Parisis A ouefie ll/lll BAl07 he lcopter EAA
Villacoublay transport
CAP 1 0 light plane, the fortunate 65 per cent to pass Ve zy
EC
EdC
this stage then transferring to G E 3 1 5 for another 26 EH4167 Durance BA2OO hel copter Edc
Aloueile Apt StChrlsrol transport
hours on CAP 10s and 64 on Magisters before being EHEl67 Alpllles BA I25 hel copter
EE
EH
'streamed'. A ouette ll/lll lstes LeTube transport EI
ETOM 82 Maine Caravelle BA]97 transpoft EL
ELAS
'Black box'Command (Tahtri) ET
ETOM 88 Alouette I, BA 188 transpoil ETOM
Last of the flying commands, although it has Noratlas, Dj bout GAM
numerous additional ground functions, the Com- Broussard GAEL
ctEH 341 8E125 hellcopterOCU
mandement des Telecommunications de l'Arm6e A ouete ll/lll Chamb6ry- GE
de l'Air is responsible for aircraft with a primarily Edc 70
Da!phln 2
N262, Noratlas,
Aixles Ba ns
EAA601 aircrafrferryinq
GI
G] AM
electronic role. Bro!ssard Chaieaudun

i.