The visit is part of the French Air Force long-range operational Mission PEGASE (Projection d'un dispositif aérien d'EnverGure en Asie du Sud-Est) in the Asia-Pacific region.
French Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam, Olivier Sigaud said that choosing Vietnam as one of the destinations during the squadron’s military exercises showed that the French Republic highly appreciated the country’s role and position in the bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries.
Speaking at the press conference which was held by the French embassy in Hanoi on August 27, General Patrick Charaix, commander of France’s Strategic Air Forces Command said that the French flight squadron includes three Rafale fighter aircrafts, one A400M transport aircraft, one C-135 cargo plane and one A310 plane with 100 crew members.
Vietnam is one of the destinations, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and the United Arab Emirates that the squadron was scheduled to visit on its return journey to France after it has completed its Pitch Black 2018 military exercise in Australia from July 27-August 17.
