Airforces

MIRAGE DISPLAY TEAM

46 // SEPTEMBER 2017 #354 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

Above: Specially marked Mirage 2000D 652/3-XN wears the striking ‘vanilla-chocolate’ scheme

developed for combat operations over Africa. Rich Cooper

For its fi rst season, Couteau Delta unveiled

a special desert paint scheme (commonly

referred to as ‘vanilla-chocolate’) to

commemorate an historic mission. This is

applied to Mirage 2000D 652/3-XN of EC 3/3

‘Ardennes’.

In 1986 the French military was deployed

on Opération Épervier (Operation

Sparrowhawk) in support of the

government of Chad. Chadian forces

were fi ghting against the troops of Libyan

leader Colonel Gaddafi , who were making

incursions into Chadian territory. In

January 1987, after Chadian troops infl icted

several defeats on Libyan soldiers, its air

force launched air strikes against French

forces. Paris responded with a raid on

Ouadi Doum air base, which had been

built by Libya in northern Chad. After

the fi rst French strike against the runway

on February 16, 1986, the local defences

were boosted with the addition of fi ve

SA-6 Gainful surface-to-air missile systems

and eight ZSU-23-4 self-propelled guns.

Consequently, a stand-off attack using the

Martel anti-radar missile (ARM) became the

preferred option for follow-on air action.

On January 7, 1987 the French Air Force

launched a composite air operation

to target Libyan air defence systems

protecting the base and to send a clear

message to Libya. The mission involved

Mirage F1Cs from EC 3/12 providing air

defence, Mirage F1CRs from ER 1/33 to act

as bait to trigger the Libyan air defence

radar, Jaguar As from EC 3/3 equipped with

Martel ARMs, C-135F tankers, and a French

Navy Atlantic for electronic intelligence

and airborne command and control.

The tactic worked – it was not long

before the Libyan Flat Face surveillance/

target acquisition radar was switched on,

and Jaguar A 100 from EC 3/3 ‘Ardennes’

destroyed it with a Martel missile.

A tactical display

The Ramex Delta display was different from

its predecessors because all its manoeuvres

had a tactical foundation – this was not

an aerobatic routine. The components of

the display were derived from everyday

Armée de l’Air operations and training

procedures. With this in mind, the Mirage

2000s flew their displays with standard

2,000 litre (440 imp gal) wing tanks fitted.

Another unusual feature was the fact

that pilots and weapons system officers

(WSOs) were not dedicated instructors but

experienced frontline crew participating in

current French Air Force operations. This

meant that practising for the tactical display

was easier to combine with regular training.

During an airshow at Base Aérienne 133

Nancy-Ochey in July 2014 the local squadrons

performed the Ramex Delta demonstration

using a pair of Mirage 2000Ds. For this

Above: A standard fi t for the Couteau Delta display, the 2,000 litre (440 imp gal) drop tanks do little to

detract from the clean lines of the Mirage 2000. Right: Close formation fl ying is a trademark of the Armée

de l’Air’s two-ship fast jet displays.

Vortices stream from the

wing roots as a Mirage 2000D

deploys airbrakes while still

in full afterburner. For all

its drama, the Couteau Delta

routine is based on tactical

manoeuvres found in the

Mirage 2000D concept of

operations.

Remembering the Ouadi Doum raid