MIRAGE RETURNS TO AUSTRALIAN SKIES

Flight Journal, Dec 2004 by Karonidis, David

THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE (RAAF) HELD A MAJOR BIENNIAL air-defense exercise, and a number of foreign air forces were invited to take part to build skills and cement relationships. In 2004, the air forces of Singapore, Thailand and, for the first time, France, flew fighters, tankers and support aircraft to the RAAF base in Darwin for the three-week exercise.

This marks the Mirage's return to the Australian skies for the first time in nearly 30 years. The RAAF operated the Mirage 111-O in the '60s and '70s before it replaced it with the F/A 18 Hornet.

The five French aircraft, including four Mirage 2000-5s of G.C.01/002 "Cigognes" and a C-135F tanker, flew to Darwin from their bases in France via the Middle East with a stopover in Singapore, bringing all support crews and any spares they would need on this farthest deployment. The Mirages' arrival was of great interest to the Hornet crews, as was that of Capt. Caroline Aigle-the only female pilot of the Armée de l'air.

During the first week, the Mirages flew three sorties a day and performed without fault. At the end of the exercise, the C-135F and its four charges flew back to France from Northern Australia.

-David Karonidis