France has sent Rafale fighter jets, which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, to Poland
France sent three Rafale fighter jets to Poland as part of NATO commitments after Russian drone attacks, which reported President Emmanuel Macron. However, it later turned out that these planes have a completely different purpose. This is reported by Defense Express,
Rafales are equipped with ASMP-A missiles with tactical nuclear warheads and are not designed to combat drones. All three fighters belong to Escadron de Chasse 2/4 La Fayette, which is based at the 113th Air Force Base Saint-Dizier-Robinson. These are not ordinary planes, but special Rafales, which are part of nuclear weapons carriers.
There are only 20 such aircraft in France, and they are part of the nuclear deterrent force. It is not known whether they arrived with ammunition that could theoretically be transported on board the A400, which also landed in Poland. However, the fact that these forces are stationed at the Minsk-Mazowietsky airfield near Warsaw, 115 km from the border with Belarus, looks more than revealing.
Unlike European fighters, which must be armed with free-falling American B61 nuclear bombs if necessary, the French Rafales carry ASMP-A supersonic missiles. They can cover up to 500 km and accelerate to a speed of Mach 3. Their standard charge is a TN 81 warhead with a power of 100 to 300 kt.
Recall that in March, Macron announced his intention to discuss with European allies the possibility of using French nuclear forces as a tool to deter Russia.
