Happy Wednesday, FighterSweep Fans! Now that we’ve taken a look at F-35C flight operations aboard the Mighty Ike, we wanted to give you an alternative perspective to life as a tailhooker!
We’ve shared videos like this one with you before, but this one is brand-spankin’-new, and features the Dassault Rafale and Super Étendard as they conduct flight operations from the French aircraft carrier R91, also known as the Charles de Gaulle. You’ll immediately see differences between how the French conduct their business around the boat, versus how the U.S. Navy handles its application of maritime combat airpower.
An interesting point of note is the Charles de Gaulle, a nuclear-powered warship, is equipped with two catapults that are shortened versions of the steam-powered catapults used aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy. What does that mean? It means American F/A-18s, E-2s, and C-2s can safely operate from the decks of the de Gaulle.
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), back, and the French navy aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle (R 91) underway together in the Arabian Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Eric S. Powell/Released)
Pretty awesome, stuff. So sit back, crank the volume, and enjoy some fantastic footage from a French Navy fighter pilot whose video editing talents are spectacular.