Air Forces Command (France)

The Air Forces Command (French: Commandement des Forces Aériennes (CFA)) is a command of the French Air and Space Force. It is headquartered at Bordeaux-Mérignac Air Base.

Air Forces Command
Commandement des Forces Aériennes
CountryGovernment of France
Branch Armée de l'air et de l'espace
Garrison/HQBordeaux-Mérignac Air Base

It is an organic command (commandement organique) which prepares units to carry out their missions, but does not have an operational role itself. Since September 2013, the former organic commands CFA and the Air Force Support Command (CSFA) were merged into CFA.

Brigades

CFA is organized in six brigades :

Fighter Brigade

The Fighter Brigade (French: Brigade Aérienne de l'Aviation de Chasse (BAAC)) is responsible for all air defense, air-to-ground and reconnaissance aircraft (including Dassault Rafale, Mirage 2000-5F, Mirage 2000B/C/D, Transall C-160 Gabriel). In February 2016 it was commanded by Brigadier General (Air) Philippe Lavigne.[1]

Units of the brigade include:

Fighter bases include:

Projection and Support Air Force Brigade

This brigade (French: Brigade Aérienne d'Appui et de Projection (BAAP)), is responsible for all tactical transport and liaison aircraft (aircraft and helicopters: Transall, C-160, Hercules C-130, A310/319, Dassault Falcon 50/900, Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma, Eurocopter Fennec, Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma, SOCATA TBM).

Airspace Control Brigade

Air Force Security and Intervention Forces Brigade

This brigade (French: Brigade Aérienne des Forces de Sécurité et d'Intervention (BAFSI)), is responsible for units of the French Air and Space Force's commando riflemen (Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air, tasked with special operations, CSAR and target acquisition), amongst which the most elite is the Air Force Parachute Commando n° 10, C.P.A 10, unit of the French Special Forces. The BAFSI also includes the security units of the air bases (34 squadrons (of company strength) and detachments (of platoon strength)) and the rescue and firefighting personnel (called incident technicians and grouped into squadrons of company size);

Support brigades
  • Air Force Aerial Weapon Systems Brigade (French: Brigade Aérienne des Systèmes d'Armes Aériens (BASAA)) provides the maintenance and repair of aerial weapons and target systems.
  • Air Force Maneuver Support Brigade (French: Brigade Aérienne d'Appui à la Manœuvre Aérienne (BAAMA)) provides the ground-based engineer and logistics personnel (including expeditionary) needed for the sustainment of air operations.

These last two brigades belonged until 2013 to the Air Force Support Command (Commandement du soutien des forces aériennes, CSFA, located at Merignac), which maintained the armaments, systems, equipment, information and communication systems (CIS) as well as infrastructure; the CSFA supported the human element, the military logistics (supply and transport), wherever forces of the French Air and Space Force operated or trained. These two brigades are now subordinate to the CFA.

References
  1. "Chammal : visite du commandant de la brigade aérienne de l'aviation de chasse". defense.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
  2. "Le ministère commande la rénovation à mi-vie des Mirage 2000 D".
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