Rafale M’s 20th anniversary
September 12, 2024
The French Naval Aviation (Aéronavale), the French Naval air arm, received its first two Rafale M fighters in December 2000. Flottille 12F, which had previously flown the F-8E(FN) Crusader, was officially re-activated on 18 May 2001, becoming the first squadron to operate the Rafale. In 2002, seven Rafale Ms were embarked aboard the carrier Charles de Gaulle and were deployed to a combat zone for ‘Mission Héraclès’, the French participation in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The Rafale M was declared operational with the Aéronavale in June 2004. Since then, the Rafale M has participated in operations over Libya in 2011, and struck Daesh (so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) targets in 2016.
Rafale Ms have launched from and landed on US Navy carriers to demonstrate interoperability on a number of occasions. Operation Chesapeake saw 12 Rafales of Flottilles 11F, 12F, and 17F, conducting a month of shore based training at Naval Air Station Oceana before embarking on board USS George H.W. Bush for two weeks of carrier qualifications in May 2018.
Some 42 Rafale M aircraft were delivered to the Marine Nationale, equipping Flottille 11F, Flottille 12F and Flottille 17F at Naval Air Base Landivisiau.
