French Rafale fighters took part in a FRA-ACE manoeuvre in Poland last week, with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces using the drill to test how combat airpower can disperse and keep operating under missile and drone threat on NATO’s eastern flank.
The exercise involved three aircraft, supporting personnel and essential technical equipment. Its purpose was to show that frontline airpower can relocate quickly when fixed bases are vulnerable, while still maintaining sortie generation from a dispersed location. The focus was operational resilience rather than a large-scale combat display, with the Polish location highlighting the pressure on NATO’s eastern defences.
The available information does not identify the specific air base or training area used, nor does it detail how long the detachment remained on the ground. It also does not confirm wider allied participation beyond the French detachment. Even so, the drill fits a broader NATO effort to reduce dependence on fixed infrastructure and preserve air operations in a contested environment.