French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French language, French to: ''Aéronavale'' (contraction of Aéronautique navale), or ''Aviation navale'', or more simply ''l'Aéro'') is the Naval aviation, naval air arm of the French Navy. The long-form official designation is ''Force maritime de l'aéronautique navale''. 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

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Structure

Immediately after the end of World War II, the ''Aeronavale'' only had Supermarine Seafire Mk.III (Flottille 1F) and Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers (Flottille 3F, Flotilles 3F et Flotille 4F, 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: * Embarqued Air Group (''Le Groupe aérien embarqué'') of the aircraft carrier : Rafale, Rafale M, E-2C Hawkeye * Naval Patrol and Maritime Surveillance Aviation (''l'Aviation de patrouille et de surveillance maritime''): Atlantique 2, Dassault Falcon 50, Falcon 50, Dassault Falcon 20, Falcon 200 * Shipborne and Shore-based Helicopters (''Les hélicoptères embarqués et basés à terre''): Eurocopter Dauphin, Dauphin, Eurocopter Panther, Panther, NHIndustries NH90, Caïman Marine * Support Aviation (''l'Aviation de soutien''): Dassault Falcon 10, Falcon 10, Embraer EMB 121 Xingu, EMB-121 Xingu, Cirrus SR20, SR20, Cap-10, Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, Dauphin, Eurocopter EC120 Colibri, EC120 Colibri

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

Retired aircraft

This is a list of retired aircraft that has flown with French Naval Aviation. * Junkers Ju 52, Amiot AAC.1 (Junkers Ju 52) * Avro Anson * Avro Lancaster, Avro Lancaster Mk.VII * Beechcraft Model 18, Beechcraft SNB-5/JRB-4 * Blanchard Brd.1, Blanchard Brd.1 HB3 * Blériot-SPAD S.42 * Bloch MB.150, Bloch MB.151 C1 * Borel-Odier Bo-T, Borel-Odier T BO-2 * Breguet 14, Breguet BRE.14B2/A2 * Breguet 19, Breguet BRE.19 B2 French TBM-3E of Flotille 4F in flight 1950s

French TBM-3E of Flotille 4F in flight 1950s

* Breguet 521, Bréguet 521 Bizerte * Breguet Alizé, Bréguet 1050 Alizé * Breguet Atlantic, Bréguet 1150 Atlantic * CAMS 30E * CAMS 37, CAMS.37A/37²/37.11/Lia * CAMS 46, CAMS 46 Et2 * CAMS 55, CAMS 55.1/55.2/55.6/55.10 * Caudron C.59, Caudron Cau 59 ET2 * Caudron Simoun, Caudron C635 Simoun * Caudron C.440 Goéland, Caudron C.445 Goéland F4U-7 NAN3-53

* North American T-6 Texan, Canadian Car & Foundry Harvard II * Vought F4U Corsair, Chance Vought F4U-7/AU-1 Corsair * Consolidated PBY Catalina, Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina * Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer * Coutant RMC Type 17 * Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, Curtiss SB2C4/SB2C5 Helldiver * Dassault Étendard IVM/P * Dassault MD 315 Flamant, Dassault MD 312 Flamant * Dassault Super Étendard * de Havilland Vampire, De Havilland 100 Vampire Mk.V * Dewoitine D.1, Dewoitine 7 C1 * Dewoitine D.371, Dewoitine D.373/D.376 * Dewoitine D.500, Dewoitine D.510 * Dewoitine D.520 * Donnet-Denhaut flying boat, Donnet-Denhaut 140/150 hp * Donnet-Denhaut flying boat, Donnet-Denhaut 160 hp * Donnet-Denhaut flying boat, Donnet-Denhaut 200 HP HS Triplace/RR/BB * Donnet-Denhaut flying boat, Donnet-Denhaut 275hp * Donnet-Denhaut flying boat, Donnet-Denhaut bimoteur * Dornier Do 24T * Douglas SBD Dauntless, Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless * Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Douglas C-47D Dakota * Farman Lévy HB2 450 hp * Farman F.60 Goliath, Farman F60 Torp Goliath/F65 * Farman F.160, Farman F.165/F.166/F.168 Torp * Farman F.220, Farman F.223.4 * FBA Type C * FBA Type H * FBA Type S * FBA Type A, FBA type 14 HE2 * FBA 17, FBA.17HL1/HL2/HMT2/HE2 * FBA 19, FBA.19HMB2 * Fouga CM.175 Zéphyr * Georges Lévy 280 HB.2 * Gourdou-Leseurre GL.2, Gourdou Leseurre ET1 Type 22 * Gourdou-Leseurre GL.30, Gourdou Leseurre LGL.32 * Gourdou-Leseurre GL-812 HY, Gourdou Leseurre GL.810/811/812/813 HY * Gourdou-Leseurre GL-832 HY, Gourdou Leseurre GL.832 HY * Grumman F6F Hellcat, Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat * Grumman TBF Avenger, Grumman TBM-3S/E/W/UT Avenger * Grumman G-21 Goose, Grumman JRF-5 Goose * Hanriot HD.2, Hanriot HD.2 C.1 * Hanriot HD.3, Hanriot HD.3 C.2 * Hanriot HD.14, Hanriot HD.14 E.2 * Hanriot HD.17, Hanriot HD.17 E.2 * Hanriot H.41 * Junkers Ju 188 * Latécoère 290 * Latécoère 298 * Latham 43, Latham 43 HB.3 * Levasseur PL.4, Levasseur PL.4 R3b * Levasseur PL.5, Levasseur PL.5 C2b * Levasseur PL.7, Levasseur PL.7 T2B2b * Levasseur PL.10, Levasseur PL.10 R3b/PL.101 R3b * Levasseur PL.14, Levasseur PL.14 Tb2B2 * Levasseur PL.15, Levasseur PL.15 T2B2 * Lévy Besson 200 hp * Lioré et Olivier LeO 7, Lioré et Olivier LeO.7.3 * Lioré et Olivier LeO 20, Lioré et Olivier LeO.20 Bn3 * Lioré et Olivier LeO H-13, Lioré et Olivier H.13/H.136 * Lioré et Olivier LeO H-43, Lioré et Olivier H.43 * Lioré et Olivier LeO H-190, Lioré et Olivier H.193 * Lioré et Olivier LeO 25, Lioré et Olivier H.257 Bis/H258 * Lockheed Ventura, Lockheed P2V-1 Ventura * Lockheed P-2 Neptune, Lockheed P2V-6/7 Neptune P5M-2 Aeronavale VP-44 training NAN7-59

* Loire 130, Loire 130 C.l * Loire 210 * Vought F-8 Crusader, LTV/Vought F-8E(FN) Crusader * Martin Maryland, Martin 167-A3 * Martin P5M Marlin, Martin P5M-2 Marlin * Maurice Farman Type 1910 * Morane-Saulnier MS.130, Morane Saulnier MoS.130 Et2 * Morane-Saulnier MS.147, Morane Saulnier MoS.149 Ep2 * Morane-Saulnier M.S.225, Morane Saulnier MS.225 C1 * Morane-Saulnier MS.230, Morane Saulnier MS.230 Et2 * Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, Morane Saulnier MS.406 C1 * Fieseler Fi 156, Morane Saulnier MS.500/MS.502 Criquet * Morane-Saulnier Alcyon, Morane Saulnier MS.733 Alcyon * Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris, Morane Saulnier MS760 Paris * Nieuport IV.H * Nieuport VI.H * Nieuport 12 * Nieuport 21, Nieuport N.21/N.23 * Nieuport-Delage NiD 62, Nieuport NiD.62 C1/NiD.622 C1 * Aérospatiale N 262, Nord 262 Frégate * North American NA-16, North American NAA.57 P2 * North American T-6 Texan variants, North American SNJ-3/4/5 * Piper PA-31 Navajo * Potez 25, Potez 25 A2/TOE * Potez 452 * Potez 56, Potez 567 * Potez 630, Potez 631 C3 * Salmson 2, Salmson Sal.2 A2 * SCAN 20 * Short Sunderland, Short Sunderland Mk.III/V * Farman NC.470, SNCAC/Farman NC.470 * SNCAC Martinet, SNCAC NC.701/NC.702 Martinet * Nord Pingouin, SNCAN N.1001/N.1002 Pingouin * Nord Noralpha, SNCAN N.1101 Noralpha * Nord Noroit, SNCAN N.1402 Noroit * Stampe SV.4, SNCAN SV.4C Stampe * Loire-Nieuport LN.401, SNCAO/Loire-Nieuport LN.401/LN.411 * Romano R.82, SNCASE R.82 Romano * Lioré et Olivier LeO 45, SNCASE Leo.451 * SNCASE Languedoc, SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc/Bloch MB.160 * de Havilland Sea Venom, SNCASE Aquilon * Bloch MB.170, SNCASO/Bloch MB.175 * Sud-Ouest Corse II, SNCASO SO.94/95 Corse * Sud-Ouest Bretagne, SNCASO SO.30P Bretagne * SOCATA Rallye family, SOCATA MS.880 Rallye * Sopwith 1½ Strutter, Sopwith Sop.1 A2 * Sopwith Baby, Sopwith Baby/130hp Clerget * Sopwith Triplane, Sopwith Triplan C.1 * SPAD S.VII C.1 French F-8E(FN) Crusader in flight over the Med 1976

French F-8E(FN) Crusader in flight over the Med 1976

* SPAD S.XIII C.1 * SPAD S.XIV, SPAD XIV Canon * Stinson Voyager, Stinson 105 * Supermarine Seafire, Supermarine Seafire Mk.III/IX/XV * Supermarine Sea Otter * Supermarine Walrus * Tampier T.4 * Taylorcraft L-2 * Tellier Canon 200 hp * Tellier 200 hp * Tellier 350Hp * Tellier BM 400 hp CanardVoisin

* Villiers II, Villiers Vil.2AM C.2 * Vickers Wellington * Voisin 13,5m * Voisin Canard * Voisin III * Voisin VIII * Vought SB2U Vindicator, Vought V.156-F * Wibault 7, Wibault Wib.74 C.1

Helicopters and autogyros

* Aérospatiale Alouette II * Aérospatiale Super Frelon * Bell 47 * Cierva C.30, LeO C-30 * Westland Lynx, Lynx Mk.4(FN) * Piasecki H-21, Piasecki H-21C * Piasecki H-25, Piasecki HUP-2 * Sikorsky H-5, Sikorsky H-51 * Sikorsky H-19, Sikorsky S-55 * Sikorsky H-34, Sikorsky S-58 * Sikorsky H-34, Sud-Aviation HSS-1

References & notes

External links

{{Commons category, Naval aviation of France
French Fleet Air Arm
about French naval aviation.
(fr) Association pour la Recherche de Documentation sur l'Histoire de l'Aéronautique Navale (ARDHAN)
Association for Documentation Research on the History of French Naval Aviation. French Naval Aviation,