Discovering a secret world! Here is a book, with many photos, on the French forces working in the shadows to avert the most serious global situations.
A little more than 1,500 people, or just 2.5% of the French Air Force… It is this microcosm, “an army within the army”, that is the focus of author Frédéric Lert and photographer Alexander Paringaux.
The duo invites us to plunge into the most top-secret facilities of the Air Force: nuclear deterrence. The policy is nothing new, since for over 50 years France has been engaged in a mission to fend off any nuclear threats to the country.
The authors recall that, under the command of the Strategic Air Forces, France’s nuclear deterrence can rely on strict and proven procedures, and on both men and women constantly ready for combat.
Not to mention the continually upgraded technological tools. These include Rafale jets, equipped with the nuclear enhanced medium-range air-to-ground missile (ASMPA) – with a range of approximately 500 kilometers and an estimated speed of Mach 3. In other words, everything that gives France very strong references among the most advanced nations in this field.
And speaking of references, here are two leading ones! In fact, author and journalist Frédéric Lert is one of the leading specialists on the French Air Force (his books include “Dassault, Le Rafale” and “Ciels de combat”).
Photographer Alexandre Paringaux has logged several hundred flight hours in the rear seat on aircraft such as the Rafale, Alphajet, Mirage 2000, and Jaguar; he has a photo library of some 300,000 aerial images – truly amazing!
Book. “Strategic Air Forces – The Wings of Nuclear Deterrence” Author: Frédéric Lert. Photographer: Alexandre Paringaux. Editions Zephyr. ISBN: 2361182831
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