PARIS — The French Air Force plays a key role in the export drive for the Dassault Aviation Rafale, but its sales support places a burden on the time it takes to train pilots on the fighter jet, the air chief of Staff told the French Senate Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces Committee.



"The more hunger there is for support for export, the more that reduces training for our crews," André Lanata said, according to a Senate parliamentary record from Oct. 12 only recently made public. There is also a high operational combat rate, which puts pressure on time for training pilots and personnel on the full spectrum of skills.



"All the challenge is there," he said.



Combat missions over Syria and Iraq have boosted fighter pilots' flying hours to 168 hours this year, higher than 159 hours in the military budget law, he said. Pilots are expected to fly 164 hours next year.





On top of that higher-than-expected operational rate, there are "significant requests for support for our export markets for the Rafale," he said. "We have to congratulate this export success: this is good news for our industry, the air force, the military budget law and for France."

"The service we bring mainly consists of training," he said. The service has "unique and sought after operational expertise," which is the clients’ main interest, he said. "This is one of the reasons for the export success," he added. Other factors include pilots flying the twin-engined fighter to air shows and in military exercises, loan of equipment, assigning kit, and personnel to help develop the plane to standards requested by the clients.

All that is not neutral and comes on top of a demanding situation, he said. The Air Force delivering support helped the defense industry and strengthened long-term strategic partnerships between the air force, France and the acquiring nation. There's a need to pay close attention to staff levels, he added; the service essentially received payment for its support.

The fighter is the main element in the Air Force, and critical decisions on the next-generation airborne nuclear deterrent should be taken at the start of the next decade, which would determine the future of the aircraft, he said.

A major factor for 2018 is the "indispensable" delivery of three Rafales, after only one unit in 2017, he said. The deliveries allow the entry into service of a second Rafale squadron for the airborne nuclear wing. "Without these aircraft, I cannot guarantee the upholding of this extremely important and demanding mission," he said.

The three units due in 2018 will make up for the three that were diverted to Egypt last year in the first French foreign sale of the Rafale.

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After 2018 there will be no more Rafale deliveries until 2021, which marks the restart of shipments of the last units in the fourth phase of orders, he said.

The budget law has earmarked 28 units in the fourth phase and it was "absolutely" vital to adhere to that, as the aircraft were needed to replace the Mirage 2000D as the jet fighter is withdrawn from service.

Hitting the 28-strong target allows the service to be equipped with 185 fighters, as set out in the military budget law, he said. Deliveries of the Rafale in the latter part of the next decade will have to take into account decisions on the next-generation airborne deterrent both in the missile and the aircraft.

France has sold respectively 24 Rafales to Egypt and Qatar, and 36 to India. Further talks have been held for a sale to the United Arab Emirates.

Dassault is the Rafale prime contractor, with Thales supplying systems and radar, and Safran the twin M88 engines. MBDA supplies the missiles, while Safran delivers the Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, a powered smart bomb.