Twenty four French Rafale fighter jets flew missions over Iraq Friday now that the Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier has returned to the fight against ISIS. The carrier returned to the region of the Mediterranean Sea in September, the BBC reported. A French officer said the aircraft were ultimately slated to assist in the battle to retake Mosul from ISIS control, according to the BBC report. This mission marks the third time the Charles de Gaulle, the sole French aircraft carrier, has been sent to the region since January 2015. France pledged the deployment earlier this summer during a meeting of defense leaders of the coalition nations.
ACC Unveils New Way to Measure Readiness
May 9, 2025
Air Combat Command is changing how it measures and tracks readiness for its fleet of aircraft, with a top general saying the focus is on “simplicity” and better articulating what its wings need.