RAF refuels French Rafales over Middle East in joint mission

The Royal Air Force has conducted a mid-air refuelling operation with the French Air and Space Force over the Middle East.

According to a defence update, a RAF Voyager tanker supported two French Rafale fighter aircraft during a joint surveillance mission. The flight demonstrated both the technical interoperability of the two forces and the political intent to operate closely against shared threats.

The Airbus Voyager KC2/3 is the RAF’s principal air-to-air refuelling platform, based on the A330 airliner and capable of carrying over 111 tonnes of fuel. The aircraft provides the backbone of the UK’s ability to sustain combat air power at distance, both in NATO and coalition contexts. With two under-wing hose and drogue pods and a centreline hose system, Voyager can refuel fast jets such as the F-35B Lightning II, Typhoon FGR4, and allied aircraft equipped with probe systems, including the French Rafale.

The Dassault Rafale itself is a twin-engine multirole fighter that has seen continuous service with the French Air and Space Force and Navy since 2001. It is capable of air superiority, deep strike, reconnaissance, and nuclear delivery missions. Its in-flight refuelling probe makes it compatible with the RAF’s Voyager fleet, allowing seamless integration during combined operations. In the Middle East, Rafales have conducted long-range strike missions against Daesh targets and continue to participate in surveillance and deterrence patrols.

The mission reflects a broader trend of Anglo-French military integration. Both nations committed under the 2010 Lancaster House treaties, and again under the 2025 Lancaster House 2.0 declaration, to deepen cooperation in expeditionary operations, air power, and maritime security. Shared deployments in the Middle East have long been a testing ground for this partnership, from counter-Daesh campaigns to maritime patrols in the Gulf.

In this case, joint surveillance flights are designed to monitor destabilising activities, ranging from terrorism and illicit arms trafficking to the presence of hostile state actors in regional waters and airspace. Air-to-air refuelling extends the range and endurance of fast jets, allowing them to maintain patrols for extended periods without the need to land and refuel.

The RAF’s Voyager fleet, operated from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, has supported operations from the Falkland Islands to the Black Sea and Middle East. Its dual role as a strategic transport aircraft adds to its flexibility, with capacity to carry 291 passengers or a combination of troops and freight alongside its refuelling mission.