Military Watch Magazine

French Rafale Units Forward Deployed Near Russia Train to Disperse to Survive Drone and Missile Strikes

French Air Force Rafale fighter units based in Poland have trained to disperse their operations and simulate measures intended to survive missile and drone attacks. The exercises demonstrated how quickly frontline airpower could relocate when established bases became vulnerable, and focused on preserving sortie generation from dispersed locations and reducing dependence on fixed infrastructure. This follows lessons from the U.S.-led war effort against Iran, where despite extensive investments in dispersing forces under the Agile Combat Employment concept, losses to Iranian and Yemeni strikes have remained substantial, including fighters and higher value aircraft.