French Air Force

The French Air and Space Force (French: Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace, lit. 'Army of the Air and Space') is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, and then made an independent military arm in 1934, becoming the French Air Force. On 24 July 2020, it assumed its current name, the French Air and Space Force. The number of aircraft in service with the French Air and Space Force varies depending on the source, however sources from the French Ministry of Defence give a figure of 658 aircraft in 2014.The French Air and Space Force has 225 combat aircraft in service, with the majority being 117 Dassault Mirage 2000 and 108 Dassault Rafale. As of early 2017, the French Air and Space Force employs a total of 41,160 regular personnel. The reserve element of the air and space force consisted of 5,187 personnel of the Operational Reserve.

The Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force (CEMAAE) is a direct subordinate of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CEMA).

President Emmanuel Macron has stated the intent to rename the French Air Force into the Air and Space Force, in recognition of the increasing importance of the space domain, which occurred on 24 July 2020.