Alpha Jet A & E: Alpha Strike!

The long awaited Franco-German strike aircraft will soon be available for you to hone your skills on in War Thunder when it arrives in the Alpha Strike major update. Today we’ll be introducing you to this famous European workhorse that has trained generations of pilots!

Alpha Jet A & E:

 A Strike Aircraft for Germany and France at Rank VI
Features:

• Maneuverable!
• Good low speed handling.
• Small silhouette.
• No guided munitions.

Vehicle History

Detayları Gizle

By 1969, both Germany and France had a need for a new generation of jet trainer aircraft to replace their existing inventory of T-33 and Fouga Magister aircraft. It was decided that a collaboration between Dornier and Dassault-Breguet, with the latter first being two separate companies who later merged, had the best potential for a joint TA (Trainer Attack) aircraft over other competing manufacturers and won out the contest with the TA501. 

This aircraft was to satisfy the Luftwaffe’s need to also replace their G.91 aircraft in the attack role, while the Armée de l’Air’s needs were mostly on the training gap that the Anglo-French Jaguar was initially intended to cover, but ended up being a more advanced supersonic conversion / strike aircraft. As such, two distinct versions of what would be the Alpha Jet were formed. The A – Appui / Attack and the E – Ecole / Trainer versions. These would be produced in sub assemblies in Germany, France and also Belgium. 

The first prototype would take to the skies in October 1973 and after many more years of testing and trials, the Alpha Jet would enter French and German service in 1979, going on to be a success story of collaboration between nations. While it still serves to this day with France, the aircraft has also been a huge export success, with multiple nations from Belgium, Portugal and Thailand operating the type, as well as it also being popular with private company operators who use them as aggressor training aircraft in the UK, America and Canada.