French muscle flex: "Pegase Grand Nord" exercises shield Sweden
The French conducted a display of military strength, culminating in the bombing of targets at the Swedish test range near Norrbotten. Here are the behind-the-scenes details of the exercises involving a strike squadron of the French Strategic Forces.
According to the portal SVT, on Tuesday, Rafale aircraft arrived directly from France to participate in the "Pegase Grand Nord" exercises. Notably, at least some of the six Rafale aircraft, accompanied by an A330 MRTT flying tanker and two A400M aircraft, belonged to the 4e Escadre de Chasse squadron from the Saint-Dizier base under the French Strategic Forces, a unit trained for nuclear strikes.
The aircraft subsequently landed at Kallax Airport in Luleå, equipped with gear for transporting ASMP-A cruise missiles. Meanwhile, the newly appointed French ambassador to Sweden, Thierry Carlier, noted in an interview that "our French vital interests also encompass the interests of our allies. In this perspective, the nuclear umbrella also applies to our allies, and of course Sweden is among them."
Rafale B — two-seater variant for special tasks
By the end of 2024, France had about 140 Rafale aircraft, with the two-seater B versions being a minority. Initially planned as a training aircraft, experience from the First Gulf War highlighted the advantages of a two-person crew during reconnaissance and strike missions.
In these scenarios, a dedicated crew member for operations such as weapons handling or supervising electronic warfare or reconnaissance systems proved to be essential. This setup is likely similar for nuclear strikes, where the pilot navigates to the region, and the weapons officer handles operations and communicates with command.
The Rafale can fly a few dozen feet above the ground at supersonic speed, which makes it difficult to detect with ground-based radars due to the radar horizon limitation, especially if the opponent lacks AWACS type aircraft. This tactic is successfully employed by Ukrainians in bombing missions against the Russians using conventional AASM Hammer bombs.
ASMP/A - a weapon Americans might envy
The ASMP/A missiles, introduced into service in 2009, are an evolved version of the ASMP (Air-Sol Moyenne Portée) missiles used since 1986. The new version features an extended range of about 310 miles, compared to its predecessor's range of up to 186 miles.
These missiles, weighing about 1,896 pounds and measuring 17.7 feet in length, are equipped with a ramjet engine similar to that of the MBDA Meteor missiles. Unlike traditional solid-fuel rocket engines, this propulsion system uses oxygen from the air rather than from the rocket fuel structure, leaving more room for fuel and significantly increasing range.
However, the missile needs to reach a speed of Mach 2 (about 1,522 mph) for the ramjet engine to activate, which is achieved by a regular rocket engine jettisoned after a few seconds. The ASMP-A then reaches a speed of Mach 3 (about 2,299 mph), making interception by enemy air defense systems much more challenging.
This is significantly harder to target than a conventional cruise missile traveling at Mach 0.9 (about 690 mph) or less. The French missile carries a TN 81 thermonuclear warhead with a yield of up to 300 kilotons.
Moreover, the French are testing another missile version, designated ASMP-R, which will be used until the ASN4G (4th generation nuclear air-to-ground) missile is completed. This new missile is expected to achieve hypersonic speeds (Mach 6-8, equating to 4,567 mph to 6,088 mph) and a range of 621 miles.
