Three Dassault Rafale combat aircraft from the French Air and Space Force arrived in French Guiana on 1 July to secure the skies over the Ariane 6 launch site ahead of the rocket’s inaugural flight.
The deployment was announced in a French Ministry of the Armed Forces update stating that the three aircraft from the 4th Fighter Wing would “reinforce the Titan operation.” Operation Titan is the name given to the Guiana Space Center’s external protection operations.
A total of 50 soldiers are stationed at the space center year-round. During payload transfer or launch phases, the number of soldiers deployed reaches nearly 350. The deployment can reach as high as 400 soldiers during the launch of sensitive payloads. In addition to ground forces, Operation Titan also includes assets from the French Air and Space Force and the Navy.
During the Ariane 6 wet dress rehearsal that was conducted in late June, 150 legionnaires and ground-to-air defense gunners from the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment were deployed. In the air, Puma and Fennec helicopters were dispatched, while the coastal maritime surveillance vessel Charente provided maritime support.
With the deployment of the three Rafale combat aircraft, Operation Titan will have significantly more air power at its disposal to secure the site for the inaugural launch of the Ariane 6 rocket.
In a review of Operation Titan deployments for Ariane 5 flights, the deployment of combat aircraft for the Ariane 6 debut does appear to be outside of the norm. During both the final flight of Ariane 5, which carried a French military communications satellite, and the launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the skies above the Guiana Space Centre were only patrolled by Puma and Fennec helicopters. European Spaceflight reviewed a number of other Ariane 5 Operation Titan Air and Space Force deployments, with two Fennec helicopters and one Puma helicopter being the standard complement.
In response to a question from European Spaceflight, a Ministry of the Armed Forces representative explained that “the three Rafales will complete and therefore strengthen the air force of Operation Titan.”
The inaugural flight of the Ariane 6 rocket is currently expected to be launched on 9 July between 15:00 and 19:00 local time (19:00 to 23:00 BST and 20:00 to 00:00 CEST).
