French Naval Aviation

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French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: Script error: No such module "Lang". (contraction of Script error: No such module "Lang".), or Script error: No such module "Lang"., or more simply Script error: No such module "Lang".) is the naval air arm of the French Navy. The long-form official designation is Script error: No such module "Lang".. Born as a fusion of aircraft carrier squadrons and the naval patrol air force, the Aéronavale was created in 1912. The force is under the command of a flag officer officially titled Admiral of Naval Aviation (ALAVIA) with his headquarters at Toulon naval base. It has a strength of around 6,800 military and civilian personnel. It operates from four airbases in Metropolitan France and several detachments in foreign countries or French overseas territories. Carrier-borne pilots of the French Navy do their initial training at Salon-de-Provence Air Base after which they undergo their carrier qualification with the US Navy.

Aircraft inventory

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Template:Avilisthead |- | Bréguet Atlantique II || France || Turboprop || ASW || || 22 || || [1] To be replaced by Airbus A321 MPA.[2] |- | Dassault Falcon 10 M || France || Jet || Utility || || 6 || || [1] |- | Dassault Falcon 50 M || France || Jet || Patrol || || 8 || || [1] |- | Dassault Falcon 200 Guardian || France || Jet || Patrol || || 5 || || [1] |- | Dassault Rafale M || France || Jet || Multirole || || 42[3] || || [1][4] |- | Embraer EMB 121 Xingu || Brazil || Turboprop|| Utility || || 11 || || [1] |- | Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin || France || Rotorcraft || SAR || || 15 || || [1] |- | Eurocopter AS565 Panther || France || Rotorcraft || Utility || || 16 || || [1] |- | Grumman E-2C Hawkeye || USA || Turboprop || AEW&C || || 3 || || [1] |- | Mudry CAP 10 || France || Propeller || Trainer || || 7 || || [1] |- | NHIndustries NH90 Caïman Marine || France || Rotorcraft || ASW/SAR || || 27 || || [1] |- | Airbus Helicopters H160 || France || Rotorcraft || ASW/SAR || || 6 || || [1] |}

Structure

File:French fleet air arm 2013.svg
Active bases of the French naval air arm (status 2013)

Immediately after the end of World War II, the Aeronavale only had Supermarine Seafire Mk.III (Flottille 1F) and Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers (Flotilles 3F et 4F).

Components

The flight personnel of the French Navy falls into three categories: fighter aviation, fixed-wing aviation and helicopter aviation.

Operationally the French Naval Aviation has four components:

Units

Operational squadrons are known as Flottilles and normally consist of 12 aircraft :

  • 1F to 10F are carrier based anti-submarine squadrons
  • 11F to 20F are fighter and attack squadrons
  • 21F to 30F are maritime patrol squadrons
  • 31F to 39F are helicopter squadrons

Shore-based training and transport squadrons are known as Escadrilles de Servitude :

  • 1S to 19S are communications squadrons
  • 20S to 29S are helicopters squadrons
  • 50S to 59S are training squadrons
Squadron Insignia Type Aircraft Base Role Notes
Embarked Air Group (Le Groupe aérien embarqué)[5]
4F Fixed wing E-2C Hawkeye Lann Bihoué Carrier airborne early warning [6]
11F Fixed wing Rafale M Landivisiau Strike fighter [7]
12F Fixed wing Rafale M Landivisiau Strike fighter [8]
17F Fixed wing Rafale M Landivisiau Strike fighter [9] Ended conversion to Rafale M in June 2016.
Rotary Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin Hyères Plane guard Not part of the GAE. Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". set sail on cruises with two Dauphin helicopters from 35F.
Naval Patrol and Maritime Surveillance Aviation (l'Aviation de patrouille et de surveillance maritime)[10]
21F Fixed wing Atlantique 2 Lann Bihoué Anti-submarine warfare / Naval patrol [11] Detachments at Dakar and Djibouti.
23F Fixed wing Atlantique 2 Lann Bihoué Anti-submarine warfare / Naval patrol [12]
24F Fixed wing Falcon 50 M Lann Bihoué Maritime surveillance / Search and rescue [13]
25F Fixed wing Falcon 200 Guardian GAM Faa'a Maritime surveillance / Search and rescue [14] Detachment at Nouméa.
Shipborne and Shore-based Helicopters (Les hélicoptères embarqués et basés à terre)
31F Rotary NH90 Caïman Hyères Search and rescue [15]
32F Rotary Airbus Helicopters H160M Guépard Lanvéoc Previously used SA321G Super Frelon.[16]
33F Rotary NH90 Caïman Lanvéoc Anti-submarine warfare / Search and rescue [17]
34F Rotary Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin/NH90 Caïman Lanvéoc Anti-submarine warfare Disbanded 4 September 2020. Planned to re-activate in 2021[18] operating leased SA365M3 Dauphins from Heli-Union and NHV as temporary equipment.[16] To convert to NH90 Caïman.[19]
35F Rotary Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin SPI Hyères Search and rescue Detachments at La Rochelle, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage[20] and Faa'a. Uses additional leased AS365N3 from Heli-Union.[16]
36F Rotary Eurocopter AS565 Panther Hyères Small ship flights [21]
Support Aviation (l'Aviation de soutien)
10S Rotary/ Fixed wing/UAV Schiebel S-100 Serval Hyères Experimental [22]Aviation and airborne weapons research and development, evaluation at several locations.
22S Rotary Dauphin, EC120 Colibri Lanvéoc Rotary operational training / Liaison
28F Fixed wing Embraer Xingu Lann Bihoué Naval patrol and maritime surveillance operational training / Utility / Liaison [23]
50S Fixed wing SR20 and CAP-10 Lanvéoc Elementary flying training [22]
57S
Fixed wing Falcon 10 M Landivisiau Combat aviation operational training [24]

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Retired aircraft

This is a list of retired aircraft that have flown with French Naval Aviation.[25]

File:French TBM-3E of Flotille 4F in flight 1950s.jpg
From 1951 to 1956, 164 Grumman Avengers were delivered to French Naval Aviation and in service until 1965
File:F4U-7 NAN3-53.jpg
The Corsair F4U-7 was the first new aircraft delivered to the French Navy after 1945. It saw action during the Indochina war, Algerian war and operation Musketeer.
File:P5M-2 Aeronavale VP-44 training NAN7-59.jpg
The Martin P5M-2 Marlin served in the French navy between 1959 and 1964.
File:Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune Aéronavale 148335 - Flotille 25F (9642397665).jpg
During the Algerian War of independence, the French Navy flew Lockheed Neptunes on surveillance patrol to fight weapons smuggling by sea
File:French F-8E(FN) Crusader in flight over the Med 1976.jpeg
The Crusader was the air superiority jet aircraft of the French Navy for 35 years
File:CanardVoisin.jpg
The Canard Voisin was the first seaplane used by the French Navy

Helicopters and autogyros

File:Lynx helo 4.jpg
French Navy Lynx; In service from 1979 to 2020.

See also

References & notes

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  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  2. ↑ https://www.airdatanews.com/frances-new-maritime-patrol-aircraft-to-be-supplied-by-airbus/
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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