French Rafale jet with a Storm-Shadow / SCALP cruise missile © mbda-systems.com
Defense News: France turns to plan B when missile launch fails during Syria airstrikes
PARIS — When a French multimission frigate failed to fire its salvo of three naval cruise missiles during last weekend’s joint airstrike on Syria, the military drew on a backup plan.
The frigate’s sister ship, the Languedoc, instead launched its naval cruise missiles at the three Syrian targets. The mission was the first time France fired its naval cruise missile, a weapon which up until then only the British and U.S. had fired against a threat.
“The first salvo did not fire,” Army Col. Patrick Steiger, spokesman for the French Joint Chief of Staff, told Defense News on April 18.
The launch by a backup ship is part of France’s standard “redundancy” approach, the spokesman said.
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Update #1: France Had Some Issues Firing Ze Missiles During The Syria Strikes (Task & Purpose)
Update #2: Macron’s fizzle: 12 French missiles launched at Syria, but several more fail to fire (RT)
WNU Editor: At least plan B worked.
