[France] Operation Sentinel

[Dutchy]

SECRET

OPPLAN - SENTINEL

REFERENCE: OPLAN/2007/001
ISSUING AUTHORITY: CHIEF OF THE AIR AND SPACE FORCE STAFF (CEMAAE)
DATE: MAY 2007

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1. MISSION

The French Armed Forces will detect, deter, and defeat any hostile airborne threats to Metropolitan France by maintaining continuous surveillance, layered air defence, and rapid response capabilities, in order to protect national sovereignty, population centres, and critical assets.​

A. COMMAND

▪ Overall Command: Chief of the Air and Space Force Staff (CEMAAE) under authority of Chief of Defence Staff (CEMA).
▪ Operational Command: Commander Air Defence & Operations Command (CDAOA).​

2. ORBAT
Last updated: June 2007

Chief of the Air and Space Force Staff (CEMAAE)
├── Commander Air Defence & Operations Command (CDAOA)

└── 1st Air Surveillance Wing​

└── 50th Air Surveillance Squadron​

├── Control & Detection Centre "Nancy – Ochey"​

├── Control & Detection Centre "Salon-de-Provence"​

├── Control & Detection Centre "Bordeaux-Mérignac"​

├── Control & Detection Centre "Évreux-Fauville"​

└── Control & Detection Centre "Nantes Atlantique"​

├── Commander Air Combat Command (CCCA)

└── 1st Fighter Wing​

└── 1/1 Fighter Squadron​

├── A Flight​

└── B Flight​

└── Commander Air Support Command (CCSA)

└── 101st Base Support Wing 'Vélizy-Villacoublay'​

A. PERSONNEL & ASSETS

1st Air Surveillance Wing​

Operational Personnel: 300
Asset: [5] Ground Master 400​

1/1 Fighter Squadron​

Operational Personnel: 110
Asset: [8] Dassault Rafale C​

101st Base Support Wing 'Vélizy-Villacoublay'​

Support Personnel: 1085
Asset: N/A​

3. EXECUTION
A. OPERATIONAL PHASES

Phase I – Surveillance & Detection
Objective: Achieve and maintain a continuous Recognised Air Picture (RAP) over Metropolitan France and approaches.

Phase II – Identification & Intercept
Objective: Rapidly identify tracks of interest and, where necessary, execute air policing measures to protect sovereign airspace.
​

SECRET

 

[Dutchy]

RESTRICTED

OPERATION ORDER
OPORD​

ISSUING AUTHORITY: AIR DEFENCE AND AIR OPERATIONS COMMAND HEADQUARTERS
RECIPIENT: COMMANDER 50TH AIR SURVEILLANCE SQUADRON
DATE/TIME: MAY 2007 — EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
SUBJECT: ACTIVIATION GROUND-BASED AIR SURVEILLANCE

** START MESSAGE ** START MESSAGE ** START MESSAGE **​

1. TASK

50TH AIR SURVEILLANCE SQUADRON WILL IMMEDIATELY PLACE ALL ASSIGNED FIXED RADAR SITES AND ASSOCIATED CONTROL & DETECTION CENTRES (CDCS) INTO FULL OPERATIONAL STATUS AND IMPLEMENT CONTINUOUS 24/7 OPERATOR AND TECHNICAL WATCHBILLS TO SUSTAIN UNINTERRUPTED DETECTION, TRACK GENERATION AND RAP FEED.​

1. EXECUTION:

A. ACTION
ACTIVATE ALL ASSIGNED FIXED RADAR SYSTEMS TO OPERATIONAL CONDITION WITHOUT DELAY.​

B.MANNING
ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN CONTINUOUS 24/7 WATCHBILLS FOR OPERATOR, CONTROLLER AND TECHNICAL MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AT EVERY RADAR SITE AND CDC.​

C. REPORTING
PROVIDE INITIAL OPERATIONAL READOUT (IOR) TO AIR DEFENCE AND AIR OPERATIONS COMMAND HEADQUARTERS WITHIN 03:00 HOURS OF THIS ORDER. THEREAFTER, SUBMIT SITREPS EVERY 4 HOURS AND IMMEDIATE CONTACT REPORTS (INCATREPS) FOR ANY RADAR FAILURE, JAMMING/SPOOFING, SUSTAINED DATA-LINK DEGRADATION, OR UNKNOWN/HOSTILE TRACK.​

D. SUSTAINMENT
ENSURE MAINTENANCE TEAMS, SPARES AND POWER RESERVES ARE POSTURED TO SUSTAIN OPERATIONS; SUBMIT EARLY LOGISTICS REQUESTS VIA 1ST AIR SURVEILLANCE WING.​

** END MESSAGE ** END MESSAGE ** END MESSAGE **​

(SIGNED)
GÉNÉRAL DE CORPS AÉRIEN LOUKA DUGUAY
COMMANDER, AIR DEFENCE AND AIR OPERATIONS COMMAND​

RESTRICTED

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The OPORD was received at the 50th Air Surveillance Squadron’s command post, where the commanding officer immediately issued activation directives to all subordinate Control & Detection Centres across metropolitan France.

At each CDC, duty controllers brought their Ground Master 400 radars online. One by one, the consoles lit up as operators settled at their stations and continuous 24/7 watch rotations were put into effect. Within the hour, every site had confirmed its operational status and established steady data feeds to Air Defence and Air Operations Command Headquarters, where the inputs were fused into the national Recognised Air Picture.

At 02:15 hours, the Initial Operational Readout was transmitted: all fixed radar sites active, fully manned, and delivering clean track data. The airspace over France was once more under constant surveillance.