New French unit activated at Cognac

The French Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (AAE, French Air and Space Force) currently operates two Beech 350ER/ALSR ‘VADOR’ as light surveillance and intelligence aircraft.

Since their introduction in 2020 these planes are flown by EEA01.054 based at Evreux (BA105). On 21 August 2023 one of these, serial 1030/F-RACH were warmly welcomed with a watery salute at Cognac-Châteaubernard (BA709). Its arrival was to celebrate the reactivation of Escadron de Reconnaissance ER04.033 ‘Périgord’, which was dormant since its deactivation in 1945.

According to French Defense publications, the objective of this transfer to Cognac is to create an intelligence center in real time, thus promoting synergy and the sharing of experience with the crews of the MQ-9A Reaper drones flown by the local 33e Escadre de Surveillance, de Reconnaissance et d'Attaque (ESRA, 33rd Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Attack Wing). Intelligence for action purposes is therefore experiencing a real increase in power at Cognac Air Base 709, which has become the nerve center of the Air and Space Force's real-time intelligence mission.

After the end of the ceremony Beech ‘1030’ has (at least temporarily) returned to Evreux and joined its fellow ‘VADOR’ with serial 1018/F-RACG. Official sources have announced that the two Beech 350ERs will be joined by a third example by 2026. Strange thing is that we at Scramble have observed TWO Beech 350s that are in the process of being converted into ALSR ‘VADOR’ configuration, serials 1232 and 479. So we do not know what to think of that.

By 2025 the Beech fleet will be strengthened by the arrival of three Falcon 8X ‘Archangel’.

Photo by C Sarrailh/Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace