Publication in November 2018

This month, Air Forces Monthly magazine published my latest "Flashpoint" about the Burkina Faso Air Force. The air arm of Burkina Faso has had different titles over several years, gaining combat experience in the process. Today it’s part of the multinational ‘G5 Sahel Joint Force’, as I explain.

My publication in July 2018

Dans son n°136 du mois de juillet, DSI Magazine publie mon dernier papier sur "l'utilisation des appareils de transport dans des missions de frappe". Le concept n'est pas nouveau et est intéressant sur le plan opérationnel et prend beaucoup de sens dans l’environnement budgétaire des armées d’aujourd'hui. La conversion d’avions de transport en bombardiers, si cela est réalisable, pourrait améliorer la flexibilité et offrent un meilleur rendement sur un investissement coûteux. In its July issue, DSI Magazine publishes my latest article on "the use of transport aircraft in strike missions". The concept is not new and dates back to the Second World War. Nevertheless, it is operationally interesting and makes a lot of sense in the budgetary environment of today's armies. The conversion of transport into bomber aircraft, if operationally and technically feasible, could improve flexibility and provide a better return on a costly investment.

My publications in June 2018

Dans son numéro Hors-Série du mois de juin spécial Eurosatory, DSI Magazine publie mon dernier papier qui dresse une cartographie des forces terrestres de l'Armée National Libyenne du Maréchal Khalifa Haftar constituée d’un regroupement de milices autour d’un noyau d’armée régulière représentant une force de 25 000 hommes environs et ne formant pas un bloc solide et cohérent. Côté historique, Avions de Combat publie un récit concernant l'Opération Mount Hope au Tchad en 1988 qui avait pour but la récupération d'un hélicoptère de combat Mil Mi-25 abandonné par les forces libyennes sur la base de Ouadi-Doum.

In its June Special issue dedicated to Eurosatory, DSI Magazine publishes my latest article which draws a map of the ground forces of the Libyan National Army led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, consisting of a group of militia around a regular army nucleus representing a force of about 25,000 men and not forming a solid and coherent block. On the historical side, Avions de Combat publishes a story about Operation Mount Hope in Chad in 1988 aimed at recovering a Mil Mi-25 combat helicopter abandoned by Libyan forces at the Ouadi-Doum base.

My publication in May 2018

Dans son n°135 du mois de mai, DSI Magazine publie mon dernier papier qui dresse un état des lieux des forces aériennes des pays du G5 Sahel - le Burkina Faso, le Mali, la Mauritanie, le Niger et le Tchad - notamment les moyens ISR, la force de frappe, le transport/liaison/reconnaissance ainsi que leur engagement au combat depuis 2015. In its May issue, DSI Magazine publishes my latest article which draws up an inventory of the air forces of the G5 Sahel countries - Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad - in particular ISR means, the strike force, the transport / liaison / reconnaissance as well as their engagement in combat since 2015.

Publication in April 2018

This month, The Aviation Historian magazine published my story about the too short carreer of the Sepecat Jaguar within the Nigerian Air Force. In Air Forces Monthly, I started a new series of articles - in parallel of my regularly Flashpoints - investigating sub-Saharan Africa’s ‘small air forces’, defined as those with 30 or fewer airframes – and which don’t currently find themselves involved in combat operations. The first part concerns Benin, Ghana, Togo air forces.

My publications in February 2018

In my regular column for Air Forces Monthly magazine - the Flashpoints - I talk about the modernization of the Malian Air Force in the February issue. I examine the slow but steady build-up of the Malian Air Force, which has overcome great odds to tackle both Tuareg rebels and al-Qaeda-linked militants.

My publications in January 2018

To get off to a good start this year 2018, two of my stories are published in January issues of "Defense et Securite Internationale" (No.133) and "The Aviation Historian" (No.22). The first analyzes the involvement of Nigerian and Chadian air forces in the fight against Boko Haram since 2011. The second tells the epic story of the Gabonese Presidential Guard squadron in which flew several former pilots of the French Air Force especially on the famous Douglas AD-4 Skyraider.

My publications for December 2017

This month, in the latest issue of the "Avions de Combat" magazine, I am pleased to sign an article about the Battle of Fallujah, an Iraqi city that could not have been liberated without the air support of the coalition, particularly the Royal Air Force, which had already been widely engaged in the battle of Ramadi. In issue 358 of "Air Forces Monthly", my usual "Flashpoint" is dedicated to the Battle of Marawi. I look at the development of the Philippine Air Force’s offensive capabilities and how these were put to use in the recently concluded campaign to liberate the city.

Ce mois-ci, dans le dernier numéro du magazine "Avions de combat", je suis heureux de signer un article sur la bataille de Fallouja, une ville irakienne qui n'aurait pu être libérée sans le soutien aérien de la coalition, en particulier la Royal Air Force, qui avait déjà été largement engagée dans la bataille de Ramadi. Dans le numéro 358 de "Air Forces Monthly", mon "Flashpoint" habituel est dédié à la Bataille de Marawi. Je me penche sur le développement des capacités offensives de l'armée de l'air philippine et comment elles ont été utilisées dans la campagne récemment terminée pour libérer la ville.

My publication in November 2017

Ce mois-ci, je contribue au n°132 du magazine "Défense & Sécurité International" avec une analyse sur le bilan et les effets de la campagne aérienne de la coalition arabe au Yémen. Il fait suite à un premier article publié dans le n° 119 de Novembre 2015 qui présentait un état des lieux des opérations après six mois de campagne.

This month, I have contributed to Issue No. 132 of "Défense & Sécurité International" magazine with an analysis of the results and effects of the aérial campaign of the Arab coalition in Yemen. It follows a first article published in Issue No. 119 of November 2015 which presented an inventory of the coalition operations after six months of campaign.

My publication for October 2017

In October issue (No. 355) of Air Force Monthly magazines, I published my fourth contribution to the "Flashpoint" series of short reports : "Tough times for Chadian Air Force", the reborn of Chadian Air Force and its involvement in the war against Boko Haram until a storm damaged most of CAF fleet last July.

Iraq got F-16s in summer 2015 and immediately started bombing ISIS

On Sept. 5, 2017,  Iraqi air force major Noor Faleh Al Khuzai died in the crash of his F-16 fighter during a training flight in Arizona. This is the second F-16IQ the Iraqi air force has lost in Arizona. On June 25, 2015, F-16C serial number 1609 crashed, killing its pilot Brig. Gen. Rafid Mohammad Hassan.

In January 2011, Iraq signed a contract worth $3 billion for 18 F-16C/D Block 52 fighters — 12 single-seat F-16Cs and six two-seat F-16Ds — for delivery between 2014 and 2015.

In March 2012, the first Iraqi F-16 pilot graduated from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training in the United States. In October that year, Iraq ordered 18 more F-16s.

On May 2, 2014, the first Iraqi F-16IQ — F-16D serial number 1601 — made its maiden flight at Forth Worth, Texas, followed by official delivery to Iraq on June 5. The first two aircraft, 1601 and 1602, went to Tucson International Airport, home of the U.S. Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing, which trains Iraqi pilots.

Iraq Got F-16s in Summer 2015 and Immediately Started Bombing ISIS - The 9th Fighter Squadron wasted no time

My publication in September 2017

En septembre, je contribue au n°131 du magazine "Défense & Sécurité International" avec un article sur les "Opérations aériennes/contre-aériennes françaises contre la Libye dans les années 80" au Tchad et en Méditerranée.

In September, I have contributed to Issue No. 131 of "Défense & Sécurité International" magazine with an article about the "French aerial operations against Libya in the 1980s" in Chad and the Mediterranean sea.

My publication in June 2017

In June Issue of Air Force Monthly magazines, I published the second contribution to my new series of monthly reports named the "Flashpoint" : "Wolves in sheep's clothing", the concept of transforming Antonov transports into auxiliary bombers starting in 1967 in the Indian Air Force and used recently in the battle of Mosul by Iraqi AIr Force.

My publication in May 2017

Two publications in May 2017 : in DSI issue No.129, I talk about the engagement of Egyptian and Emirati Air Forces in Libya with a focus on the UAE deployment at al-Khadim airbase; I have also written a short piece about the latest batch of four F-16IQs delivered to Iraqi Air Force in Issue No.350 of Air Forces Monthly magazine

My publication in April-May 2017

In March-April, two of my articles are published in DSI and Combat Aircraft Monthly magazines. The first one is the story of the Garud commando forces, the special forces dedicated to the Indian Air Force in DSI special Issue. In Combat Aircraft Monthly, I published a short piece about the latest Aero Vodochody L-159s delivered to Iraqi Air Force.

My publications in March-April 2017

In March-April, two of my articles are published in Airpower and Air Force Monthly magazines. The first one is an analysis of the future of the F-35 : "Le F-35 est-il condamné ?". In Air Forces Monthly, I published the first contribution to my new series of monthly reports named the "Flashpoint" : "Dusty' goes to war", the secretive Libyan war record of the Air Tractor.

My publication in March

This month, two of my short reports are published in March Issue of Air Force Monthly about the deployment of Nigerian Air Force in Gambia and a combat report about Iraqi Air Force and Iraqi Army Aviation in action in the battle of Mosul.

My publication in January

This month, I published in issue 18 of The Aviation Historian magazine about the story of Dassault Mirage in Zairian Air Force (FAZA). These aircraft were often piloted by French instructor for training Zairian, but also for attack missions, notably during the second Shaba war in 1978 (or Kolwezi crisis).

My publication in December

In December, I publish, in collaboration with Tom Cooper, an article in DSI special issue No. 51 about the "Aerial military transport in the Syrian and Libyan civil wars" with a focus on Iranian and Russian air-bridge. En décembre, je publie, en collaboration avec Tom Cooper, un article dans le HS N°51 de DSI Magazine à propos du "Transport aérien militaire dans les guerres civiles syrienne et libyenne" avec un focus sur le pont aérien iranien et russe.

My publications in May

This month, I published an article in May-June issue of DSI Magazines about airpower during the seconde Libyan civil war. I describe the order of battle of the two air forces : LNA AF (Libyan National Army Air Force) in the side of Tobruk government, recognized by international authorities, and LDAF (Libya dawn Air Force) in the side of Tripoli government and Fajr Libya militias. I also contributed to Combat Aircraft Monthly in the "News world" chapter with a short article on the Su-25s delivered to Iraq. Ce mois-ci, j'ai publié un article dans le numéro de mai-Juin de DSI Magazines au sujet de la puissance aérienne durant la seconde guerre civile libyenne . J'y décris l'ordre de bataille des deux forces aériennes: LNA AF (Libyan National Army Air Force) du côté du gouvernement Tobrouk, reconnue par les instances internationales, et LDAF (Libya dawn Air Force) du côté du gouvernement de Tripoli et les milices de Fajr Libya . J'ai aussi contribué aux actualités dans Combat Aircraft Monthly avec un court article à propos des derniers Su-25 livrés à l'Iraq.