SLIDESHOW: French Warplanes Train in Honolulu - Honolulu Civil Beat

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SLIDESHOW: French Warplanes Train in Honolulu

The French military is emphasizing training with allies across the Pacific at a time of increasing tensions between rival powers in the region.
By Kevin Knodell Cory Lum / July 3, 2021
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  • <p>A Dassault Rafale fighter jet of the French Air and Space Force comes in for a landing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam on Wednesday. A French air group of eight planes arrived in Honolulu on Saturday for Exercise WAKEA.</p>

    A Dassault Rafale fighter jet of the French Air and Space Force comes in for a landing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam on Wednesday. A French air group of eight planes arrived in Honolulu on Saturday for Exercise WAKEA.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021
  • <p>170 French troops are taking part in the exercise. Before arriving on Oahu they were training in Tahiti, where France Pacific Command is headquartered.</p>

    170 French troops are taking part in the exercise. Before arriving on Oahu they were training in Tahiti, where France Pacific Command is headquartered.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021
  • <p>France is the only European country with a permanent military presence in the Pacific, with troops in facilities in French Polynesia and New Caledonia. In Hawaii, they’re training with the U.S. Air Force.</p>

    France is the only European country with a permanent military presence in the Pacific, with troops in facilities in French Polynesia and New Caledonia. In Hawaii, they’re training with the U.S. Air Force.

  • <p>Major Guillaume, left, and Co-Pilot Captain Luc fly an Airbus A400M Atlas, an airlifter that hauls troops and supplies. Guillaume is a seasoned pilot who has flown missions across Africa and in Afghanistan. For Luc, this is his first deployment.</p>

    Major Guillaume, left, and Co-Pilot Captain Luc fly an Airbus A400M Atlas, an airlifter that hauls troops and supplies. Guillaume is a seasoned pilot who has flown missions across Africa and in Afghanistan. For Luc, this is his first deployment.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021
  • <p>Guillaume gives a tour of the cockpit of his A400m Atlas. He said training with American forces is important “to demonstrate that we are able to fly together, and that could be an option if tomorrow we are engaged in a combat operation and doing combined operations together.”</p>

    Guillaume gives a tour of the cockpit of his A400m Atlas. He said training with American forces is important “to demonstrate that we are able to fly together, and that could be an option if tomorrow we are engaged in a combat operation and doing combined operations together.”

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021
  • <p>A french fighter pilot Captain Nils, who flies under the callsign “Sharp,” stands in front of one of the Rafale jets. “It’s a great mission,” he said. “We have the chance to first go to Tahiti, then Hawaii, so it’s amazing.”</p>

    A french fighter pilot Captain Nils, who flies under the callsign “Sharp,” stands in front of one of the Rafale jets. “It’s a great mission,” he said. “We have the chance to first go to Tahiti, then Hawaii, so it’s amazing.”

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021
  • <p>A French A330 Phenix aerial refueling aircraft comes in for a landing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam. The French air group will fly back to France after wrapping up training in Hawaii, but will stop in Virginia on the way.</p>

    A French A330 Phenix aerial refueling aircraft comes in for a landing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam. The French air group will fly back to France after wrapping up training in Hawaii, but will stop in Virginia on the way.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

The French Air and Space Force is currently flying missions over Honolulu as part of a series of exercises in the Pacific. About 170 French service members arrived last week for Exercise WAKEA and have been training with members of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces.

Prior to arriving in Hawaii on June 26, the French air group was training in Tahiti. France, which maintains military facilities in Tahiti and New Caledonia, is the only European country with a permanent military presence in the region.

The exercise comes on the heels of a visit to Hawaii by France’s top commander in the Pacific in May.

Tensions have been ratcheting up across the region. In January, the Chinese government announced it had authorized its Coast Guard to open fire on any vessel in the South China Sea, a critical international trade route.

Several countries quickly put the new policy to the test, including France, which in March sent a nuclear attack submarine to the region and docked a navy warship in Vietnam, a former colony.

More recently, the Russian military held its largest exercise in the Pacific since the end of the Cold War, with drills taking place just off the coast of Hawaii. Nearby flights by Russian bombers prompted flights by armed Hawaii National Guard F-22s, but no confrontations.

“The WAKEA mission allows us to train with our allies for the newest engagement scenarios,” French Air and Space Force Chief of Staff Gen. Philippe Lavigne said in a statement about the air group’s Pacific tour. “Additionally, it contributes to strengthening our partnerships in the Pacific region to face the operational and strategic challenges that we will have to face together in the coming decades.”

After leaving Hawaii, the French planes will begin their trip back to France, stopping on the way at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for the commemoration of the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown, a battle in the American Revolution where French military assistance proved pivotal in the American victory.

About the Authors

  • Kevin Knodell
    Kevin Knodell
    Kevin Knodell reported on the military and veterans for Civil Beat as a corps member for Report For America, a national nonprofit that places journalists in local newsrooms to cover underreported topics.
    Use the RSS feed to subscribe to Kevin Knodell's posts today
  • Cory Lum
    Cory Lum
    Cory Lum was the chief photographer for Civil Beat.
    Use the RSS feed to subscribe to Cory Lum's posts today
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