Interview with a former GCI/WPN controller in the French Air Force

A former GCI/WPN controller in the French Air Air Force kindly accepted an interview for the blog. T served in ground control centers as well as the E-3F during the Cold War and

Hello T., many thanks for accepting an interview for alejandro-8.blogspot.com. Could you provide us an overview of your career in the French Air Force?

Hello Alejandro thanks a lot for your interest. My name is T. and were in service in the French Air force (FAF) for 30 years as GCI/WPNs (Ground Control Intercept/Weapon Officer). That means I were in military control center, tactical center and for sometimes in E-3F. From 1994 to 2000 I was instructor in formation center at Mont de Marsan AFB, specialist in air materiel, weapons systems and electronic warfare.  After 2000 I joigned Tours AFB as GCI Leader in operational sqn, and at least chief of the standardization cell, in charge of instruction and formation of the center. I had the ability to agree professional licenses for example Air Police on helicos (I spent few month in Guyana for that!!).  As GCI I had medical aptitude to fly on every french aircraft and specially two seat fighters. It’s so that I have a lot of hours on Ajet, MirF1B and 2000B. Same for transport and helicos. The only one I never fly in was the Jaguar E, with regrets.

Can you provide an example of what your role as GCI/WPN consists of?

To have a good response it’s first important to explain the controllers history according the aircraft history in the French air force.  I enter in service in 1979 with Mirage IIIE and Mirage F1C. At this time we had to provide close control, that means to guide the fighter on target. It was logical according the fighter radar which could only do this type of pursuit. In 1984 the air force received the first Mirage 2000 and for us it was a big step, but in the same control procedure. The difference was in the range of detection and so different tactics. 4 years after a new version adapted for low level tracking entered in service, offering new capabilities. I spent my master controller licence with this type of aircraft : Mirage 2000 RDI. Affected to Nice Ctl Station I had the opportunity to participate at a meeting with some 5th sqn’s pilotes of Orange AFB to define the basic communications standard using the RDI. Few years after we had to participate at the 1st Gulf War, our RDI engaged with coalition on AlAhsa AFB. I think it was the big turn to our speciality as GCI. Because we had to apply NATO procedures in a real war environment. After that all became different. And the last thing which definitely changed our control method was the last update of our Mirage, the -5. In French air force pilot-controller is a real duo, because we are the 360° around surveillance operator for the pilot. The GCI is dedicated to the threat alert outside the fighter radar envelope. Today nations using GCI consider the same thing, it’s so that we can provide situation awareness for all and participating for us at big NATO exercises is the best thing to accurate our methods.

We have to consider today loose ctle for main big missions, broadcast ctl in specific environment (low level for example or jamming environment) and at least close ctl for police mission.    

When you are guiding a fighter in an operation, how much autonomy does the pilot have over the GCI? This was a widely discussed topic during the Cold War.

The pilot is under GCI even during the planified slot or until short fuel for recovery or no weapons. The difficulties today are in the coordinations with all the assets and specialy when you have two ctl agencies working in the same airspace, for example an E3 and a ground center. It’s so that the comms must be clear and precise between the GCI sqn leader and the FA (Fighter allocator) in E3 (or E2). For heavy exercises we have to planify specific crews for recovery to shed the GCI. It’s so that for a big one (Tigermeet for example) you have to consider the control center is in maximum configuration.

When detecting a fighter, was there much difference in the distance at which non stealthy fighters were detected (MiG-21/F-16/F-15/Mirage 2000 -some are supposed to have lower RCS than others-) by E-3F?

No there is not a big difference, because you track a signal according pulse doppler effect. But the plane is not important, what you detect in fact is the radar system or electronic system of the plane (same for ground or naval systems). It’s so that you have a EO on board (Electronic Operator). It was a little bit difficult when you have a classical plane without electronic. The case of Air Policing missions is a good example and the difficulty to track a Cessna or Robin !!! But we did.

What was the longest mission you carried out in an E-3F? What do you think is the limit for a crew?

For me the longest were during ex-Yougoslavia conflict. I had the chance to participate at some flights. France often had holding pattern over hungaria, as US were over Adriatic see. For us it was very long and hard for personal on board. You had to be at the AFB 3 hours before for brief and prepare mission, after that take off and direct flight to hungaria. Then holding and mission and at last recovery and debrief. So in resume for a 12 hours slot, you did 15 hours in flight plus 5 hours on the ground. So you can easily imagine for a night flight. And why 12 hours, because you had 2 E3 for 24 hours and take over on holding. For all, the most difficult were night flights because the day before you had to sleep, and for some an helping with sleeping pills. And when you did flights and flights, it was hard. A bad souvenir this conflict for mission and for health.

When operating QRA (Quick Reaction Alerts) how fast could the fighters take off? Is there any difference between the different types (F1/2000/Rafale)?

In France it’s a question of time. Peace alert is in 7 or 15 minutes. And in case of you can request 2 minutes, that means aircraft is on runway ready to take off, pilot inside. You can also use a classic flight (performing training, navigation, refuelling) for a police mission, in condition the pilot has aptitude for QRA. But in this case the aircraft is not armed. Very useful for recognition mission only or a little assistance, the QRA staying home.

In France the QRA is also dedicated to real assistance. All changed after the twin towers disaster in 2011. We had to modify the missions, and train pilots to perform assistance on big civilian airports. It’s so that we did a lot of recovery on Roissy or Orly for example. We also did a lot of escort on US or Canadian flights just after take off from these airports. Today French squadrons continue this type of exercise.    

Can you comment on the deployment of link systems like Link-16? How did they improve mission efficiency/situational awareness?

In early 90’s France has developed a specific link called “teleaffichage” and dedicated to M2000. This link was only used by GCI to give orders or informations to aircraft without radio. In the same time France received first E3F and link 16. Our link was inadapted and not useful, it’s so that we stopped it. With E3F arrival our surveillance operators had to learn and adapt their job at this new environment. Our technicians spent lot of hours to integrate this link in our data environment, but they did. And to update our method to work (specially SO) because they didn’t work in a E3.

The link 16 was important so for them wich had to identify all aircrafts in national airspace and during exercise to establish the good identity. Before to leave Air Force the 1st CAOC was in service with all datas and all links integrated. It was very interesting to have a good vision of the airspace over Lybia during Harmattan MSN, E3F rotating near Sardinia. And for another example during Tigermeet at Landivisiau NAS in 2008, it was important to have a long range alert. At least a specific phase was the recovery because E3F was not allowed for handover patrol to approach, and so, necessary for us to identify the good patrol for the recovery, thank you the link 16.

Can you comment on the improvement of electronics during all this time in terms of weight/reliability? E-2C old computer in the Forward Equipment Compartment weighed 3,000 lb and had 64K of internal memory!

I cannot really answer this one because if I did some flights I made a lot of exchanges in simulator to train the inboard controllers according NATO rules. The work in E2 is really different from a E3 because the operator has to manage the situation but all about, in, out, recovery, handovers. It’s so that he is called “radar operator”. Today you have an E3 controller in exchange with E2 squadron. Same with navy on carrier Charles de Gaulle.
 
Is there an anecdote you would like to share before we finish the interview?

I remember the old exercises where we had possibility to fly supersonic and of course the results on public infrastructures, some anecdotes over Tchad or Gulf but the most incredible for me was the police mission on 2007 june 21st during Salon du Bourget.

For this meeting a crisis cell is activated and in 2007 our CRC (Tours) was leader (logical because in our geographic area of responsibility). I was GCI Leader with 6 crews performing surveillance and control because we had activated axis with helos or slow moving plane to intercept slow traffic. I also had E3 rotating and so linked with it (Fighter Allocator) to coordinate operations. And the show was going well. Until the end of morning where Belgian Control phone me to advise a slow moving aircraft, civilian, coming from Hamburg were flying over Belgian airspace without control inbound France. It was intercepted by F16 and didn’t answer to them. Well note.

Few minutes later Reims approach called me “can you see north my position, squaking XX, these are f16 in my area and the slow mover is unknown, F16 go back home and return to Florennes”. I advise my squadron cmder and decide to scramble te QRA. Few minutes and the M2000 take off from Creil direct to intercept the Turbomooney, with 2 persons on board. The Mirage is on left and the two passengers are happy to see a military aircraft, performing visual signals but occupied to continue their travel to La Rochelle. They don’t listen the frequencies, don’t answer, nothing, they fly.

But they fly directly to Le Bourget where a show is in progress, and of course a complex area in place with SAM for example. I decide to engage a patrol of Tucano performing north axis. We proceed and the Tucano join the couple of aged persons always enjoying the visits of military aircrafts. The pilot in rear back seat has instruction panels, show them, but nothing. We are entering Le Bourget area and according the track they are going for the pleasure of public to overflight the show. And they do it. I had time before by phone to stop the show for safety. What is the next ?

The Tucano call me short of fuel, and Mirage 2000C too because hard to maintain a low speed. I decide to call Tours App for request : “hello, are you waiting for a patrol of Alphajet going for training on axis ?” “yes in 5 minutes” “Ok ask leader if he has agreement for air policing” and the response arrive “yes”. Few minutes later the leader contact us to proceed on the tourists. We intercept them and try to give order to follow the alphajet. For that I decide to use the emergency frq 121.5, I hope he was listening. Nothing. And suddenly a miracle coming from the sky.
 
A Lufthansa pilot who was listening the frq understand what happened and decide to make relay on the frq. I give it instructions in English and the pilot relay in german to the tourist pilot, which understand 2 hours and half after. The little german aircraft decide to follow the alphajet and to land at Tours AFB where french Gendarmerie were waiting for them. The two old persons have been arrested and interrogated for: crossing 2 countries border without radio, overflying restricted areas, non cooperation according police measures. What I know, the day after these tourists were free, the aircraft was requisitioned, the pilot driving licence sent to german ambassy. The pilot has been sentenced in Germany his pilot licence deleted.
After that we make a big return of experience to modify our procedures. And one thing is sure, after that I did a big lunch.

For the story :

https://www.rtl.be/art/info/monde/europe/un-avion-de-tourisme-allemand-intercepte-par-un-mirage-se-pose-a-tours-7417.aspx

Other interviews:

I am always looking for more veterans, active members or people related with the defence industry to accept interviews. If you enjoyed reading the material and would be happy to accept an anonimous interview you can get in contact with me. My e-mail can be found in this link at the heading. Otherwise leave a message in the comment sections.

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