The
French Air Force ( , "army of the air") is the
air force of the
French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the
Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the
French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1934. The number of aircraft in service with the French Air Force varies depending on source, however sources from the
French Ministry of Defence give a figure of 658 aircraft in 2014. The French Air Force has 219 combat aircraft in service, with the majority being 124
Dassault Mirage 2000 and 95
Dassault Rafale. As of early 2015, the French Air Force employs a total of 43,597 regular personnel. The
reserve element of the air force consisted of 5,187 personnel of the Operational Reserve.