French Air Force personnel wear conical hats in Hanoi

A French squadron of military aircraft visiting Hanoi for four days has found the Vietnamese traditional hat come in handy to keep out the summer heat of late August.

The visit is part of the long-range operational mission PEGASE (Projection d'un dispositif aérien d'EnverGure en Asie du Sud-Est) in Asia-Pacific.

The squadron has come to Vietnam after finishing its Pitch Black 2018 military exercise in Australia from July 27 to August 17, the French Embassy in Vietnam said.

It includes three Rafale fighter aircraft, one A400M plane, a C-135 plane and an A310. This is the first time that the French squadron has come to Vietnam, marking the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, and the fifth anniversary of establishing a strategic partnership.

The French personnel wearing the conical hats were in charge of guiding the planes to proper areas, as well as carrying out technical checks on the planes.

“Vietnam’s hot weather at the end of August prompted the Embassy and the French Air Force to provide our personnel with conical hats during their time working in Hanoi,” a representative from the French Embassy said on Monday.

The PEGASE mission is intended to increase France’s presence in the region, as well as deepen ties between France and its regional partners. This mission, heralded by General Patrick Charaix, commander of France’s Strategic Air Forces Command, has 100 members.

Other destinations on the squadron’s list are Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and India.