The Diplomacy of the Jaguar

In the spring of 2007, Chadian rebels using the Central African Republic as a sanctuary suffered a severe setback at the hands of loyalist Army units. Analysts were quick to point out the critical support brought by French airpower during the crisis. Airlift, reconnaissance and strikes by French Air Force assets in conjunction with Special Forces were instrumental in stopping the rebels short of their objectives. This event is another episode of the long history of French involvement in Africa since the end of its colonial empire in the 1960s. To support the French African policy, the French military has used airpower in different roles and at different levels of commitment throughout the history of its interventions on the continent. In the early years following the decolonization, French operations in Africa took advantage of the ground forces still available there and had little use of airpower. French Air Force pre-positioned assets were very limited, revolving around a couple of AD-4 Skyraider squadrons only. Following a policy of disengagement, this era saw a rapid decrease of the number of French forces on the continent.