The IR-vision scene, with the moon appearing closer due to the magnifying effect of the zoom, was filmed with a Damocles multi-function targeting pod, by a French aircraft, possibly a Dassault Rafale, a Mirage 2000 or a French Navy Super Etendard that are equipped with the pod used for laser designation and day/night smart weapons guidance.
David Cenciotti is a freelance journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written four books.
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7 Comments
Those French pilots are having a good time ! For those who can’t understand it, at the beginning of the video they are commenting with humor like wildlife documentary reporters.
I’m summing it up, but there’s something quite like :
“My my, look at this, something really odd happening : an intercourse, yes, an intercourse between two tankers. Let’s now find out which is male, and which is female.”
I honestly never expected that, good laugh nevertheless, thank you.
looks fake to me… at least the tráiler one
A lot of experience with targeting pod footage, eh?
At some time near the end of the video, the pilots are commenting (in french) how “excellent” the background with the full moon is, 2-3 times.
With the rest of their humorous talking about the tankers “having intercourse”, doesn’t seem fake to me. Moreover, the French AF does not own / need to promote VC-10, so why faking ?
Just an unusual footage of casual fighter pilot flying, if you ask me.
I’m not sure it’s a Damocles pod… back in 2007? What about a PDLCT-S from a Mirage 2000D?
Wow! Impressive! Its footage from a Thales Damocles Multi-function Targeting pod, available for Mirage 2000, Rafale, Super Etendard, Sukhoï 30, Tornado and Mirage F-1.
The video is from 2006 so aircraft using this pod was a Mirage 2000D. What the tankers did is called “force extension”, a tanker on station still has fuel and gives it to its buddy tanker to extend range and on station time.
Those French pilots are having a good time ! For those who can’t understand it, at the beginning of the video they are commenting with humor like wildlife documentary reporters.
I’m summing it up, but there’s something quite like :
“My my, look at this, something really odd happening : an intercourse, yes, an intercourse between two tankers. Let’s now find out which is male, and which is female.”
I honestly never expected that, good laugh nevertheless, thank you.
looks fake to me… at least the tráiler one
A lot of experience with targeting pod footage, eh?
At some time near the end of the video, the pilots are commenting (in french) how “excellent” the background with the full moon is, 2-3 times.
With the rest of their humorous talking about the tankers “having intercourse”, doesn’t seem fake to me. Moreover, the French AF does not own / need to promote VC-10, so why faking ?
Just an unusual footage of casual fighter pilot flying, if you ask me.
I’m not sure it’s a Damocles pod… back in 2007? What about a PDLCT-S from a Mirage 2000D?
Wow! Impressive! Its footage from a Thales Damocles Multi-function Targeting pod, available for Mirage 2000, Rafale, Super Etendard, Sukhoï 30, Tornado and Mirage F-1.
The video is from 2006 so aircraft using this pod was a Mirage 2000D. What the tankers did is called “force extension”, a tanker on station still has fuel and gives it to its buddy tanker to extend range and on station time.