French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: (contraction of ), or , or more simply ) is the naval air arm of the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

. The long-form official designation is . Born as a fusion of

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

squadrons and the naval patrol air force, the ''Aéronavale'' was created in 1912. The force is under the command of a

flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command. Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways: * ...

officially titled Admiral of Naval Aviation (ALAVIA) with his headquarters at

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

naval base. It has a strength of around 6,800 military and civilian personnel. It operates from four airbases in

Metropolitan France Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...

and several detachments in foreign countries or

French overseas territories Overseas France (, also ) consists of 13 French territories outside Europe, mostly the remnants of the French colonial empire that remained a part of the French state under various statuses after decolonisation. Most are part of the European ...

. 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 The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

Aircraft inventory

, - , Bréguet Atlantique II , , France , , Turboprop , , ASW , , , , 22 , , , , To be replaced by Airbus A321 MPA. , - , Dassault Falcon 10 M , , France , , Jet , ,

Utility In economics, utility is a measure of a certain person's satisfaction from a certain state of the world. Over time, the term has been used with at least two meanings. * In a normative context, utility refers to a goal or objective that we wish ...

, , , , 6 , , , , , - , Dassault Falcon 50 M , , France , , Jet , ,

Patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology The word "patrol" is derived from the Frenc ...

, , , , 8 , , , , , - , Dassault Falcon 200 Guardian , , France , , Jet , , Patrol , , , , 5 , , , , , - , Dassault Rafale M , , France , , Jet , , Multirole , , , , 42 , , , , , - , Embraer EMB 121 Xingu , , Brazil , , Turboprop, , Utility , , , , 11 , , , , , - ,

Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin The Eurocopter, later Airbus Helicopters AS365 Dauphin, originally known as the Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin 2, is a medium-weight multipurpose twin-engine helicopter produced by Airbus Helicopters. It was originally developed and manufactured ...

, , France , , Rotorcraft , , SAR , , , , 15 , , , , , - ,

Eurocopter AS565 Panther The Eurocopter, later Airbus Helicopters AS565 Panther is the military version of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin medium-weight multi-purpose twin-engine helicopter. The Panther is used for a wide range of military roles, including combat assault, ...

, , France , , Rotorcraft , , Utility , , , , 16 , , , , , - , Grumman E-2C Hawkeye , , USA , , Turboprop , , AEW&C , , , , 3 , , , , , - , Mudry CAP 10 , , France , , Propeller , , Trainer , , , , 7 , , , , , - , NHIndustries NH90 Caïman Marine , , France , , Rotorcraft , , ASW/ SAR , , , , 27 , , , , , - ,

Airbus Helicopters H160 The Airbus Helicopters H160 (formerly X4) is a medium utility helicopter developed by Airbus Helicopters. Formally launched at Heli-Expo in Orlando, Florida on 3 March 2015, it is intended to replace the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, AS365 and Euroc ...

, , France , , Rotorcraft , , ASW/ SAR , , , , 6 , , , ,

Structure

Immediately after the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the ''Aeronavale'' only had

Supermarine Seafire The Supermarine Seafire is a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. It was analogous in concept to the Hawker Hurricane variants#Sea Hurricanes, Hawker Sea Hurricane, a navalised aircraft ...

Mk.III ( Flottille 1F) and

Douglas SBD Dauntless The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy's main Carrier-based aircraft, ...

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: * Embarked Air Group (''Le Groupe aérien embarqué'') of the aircraft carrier : Rafale M, E-2C Hawkeye * Naval Patrol and Maritime Surveillance Aviation (''l'Aviation de patrouille et de surveillance maritime''): Atlantique 2,

Falcon 50 The Dassault Falcon 50 is a French super-midsize, long-range business jet, featuring a trijet layout with an S-duct air intake for the central engine. It has the same fuselage cross-section and similar capacity as the earlier twin-engined Dassau ...

, Falcon 200 * Shipborne and Shore-based Helicopters (''Les hélicoptères embarqués et basés à terre''): Dauphin, Panther, Caïman Marine * Support Aviation (''l'Aviation de soutien''): Falcon 10, EMB-121 Xingu, SR20,

Cap-10 The Mudry CAP 10 is a two-seat training aerobatic aircraft first built in 1970 and still in production in 2007. The plane was developed from the Piel Emeraude, Piel Super Emeraude and was born as the CP100. The name changed to CAP 10, CAP for 'Con ...

, Dauphin, 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 have flown with French Naval Aviation. * Amiot AAC.1 (Junkers Ju 52) *

Avro Anson The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), R ...

* Avro Lancaster Mk.VII * Beechcraft SNB-5/JRB-4 * Blanchard Brd.1 HB3 * Blériot-SPAD S.42 * Bloch MB.151 C1 * Borel-Odier T BO-2 * Breguet BRE.14B2/A2 * Breguet BRE.19 B2 French TBM-3E of Flotille 4F in flight 1950s

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

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

* Canadian Car & Foundry Harvard II * Chance Vought F4U-7/AU-1 Corsair * Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina * Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer * Coutant RMC Type 17 * Curtiss SB2C4/SB2C5 Helldiver *

Dassault Étendard IV The Dassault Étendard IV is a supersonic, transonic aircraft carrier, carrier-borne strike fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. Development of the Étendard originally commenced during the 1 ...

M/P * Dassault MD 312 Flamant * Dassault Super Étendard * De Havilland 100 Vampire Mk.V * Dewoitine 7 C1 * Dewoitine D.373/D.376 * Dewoitine D.510 * Dewoitine D.520 * Donnet-Denhaut 140/150 hp * Donnet-Denhaut 160 hp * Donnet-Denhaut 200 HP HS Triplace/RR/BB * Donnet-Denhaut 275hp * Donnet-Denhaut bimoteur *

Dornier Do 24 The Dornier Do 24 is a 1930s German three-engine flying boat designed by the Dornier Flugzeugwerke for maritime patrol and search and rescue. A total of 279 were built among several factories from 1937 to 1945. Design and development The Dorni ...

T * Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless * Douglas C-47D Dakota * Farman Lévy HB2 450 hp * Farman F60 Torp Goliath/F65 * Farman F.165/F.166/F.168 Torp * Farman F.223.4 * FBA Type C * FBA Type H * FBA Type S * FBA type 14 HE2 * FBA.17HL1/HL2/HMT2/HE2 * FBA.19HMB2 *

Fouga CM.175 Zéphyr The Fouga Zéphyr (company designation CM.175) was a 1950s France, French two-seat Carrier-capable aircraft, carrier-capable jet trainer for the French Navy. It was developed from the land-based Fouga CM.170 Magister, CM.170 Magister. The Zéphyr ...

Georges Lévy Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia * Georges Quay (Dublin) * Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses * Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 1 ...

280 HB.2 * Gourdou Leseurre ET1 Type 22 * Gourdou Leseurre LGL.32 * Gourdou Leseurre GL.810/811/812/813 HY * Gourdou Leseurre GL.832 HY * Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat * Grumman TBM-3S/E/W/UT Avenger * Grumman JRF-5 Goose * Hanriot HD.2 C.1 * Hanriot HD.3 C.2 * Hanriot HD.14 E.2 * Hanriot HD.17 E.2 * Hanriot H.41 *

Junkers Ju 188 The Junkers Ju 188 "''Rächer''" ("Avenger") was a German ''Luftwaffe'' high-performance medium bomber built during World War II, the planned follow-up to the Ju 88 with better performance and payload. It was produced only in limited numbers, d ...

* Latécoère 290 * Latécoère 298 * Latham 43 HB.3 * Levasseur PL.4 R3b * Levasseur PL.5 C2b * Levasseur PL.7 T2B2b * Levasseur PL.10 R3b/PL.101 R3b * Levasseur PL.14 Tb2B2 * Levasseur PL.15 T2B2 * Lévy Besson 200 hp * Lioré et Olivier LeO.7.3 * Lioré et Olivier LeO.20 Bn3 * Lioré et Olivier H.13/H.136 * Lioré et Olivier H.43 * Lioré et Olivier H.193 * Lioré et Olivier H.257 Bis/H258 * Lockheed P2V-1 Ventura * Lockheed P2V-6/7 Neptune P5M-2 Aeronavale VP-44 training NAN7-59

* Loire 130 C.l * Loire 210 * LTV/Vought F-8E(FN) Crusader * Martin 167-A3 * Martin P5M-2 Marlin * Maurice Farman Type 1910 * Morane Saulnier MoS.130 Et2 * Morane Saulnier MoS.149 Ep2 * Morane Saulnier MS.225 C1 * Morane Saulnier MS.230 Et2 * Morane Saulnier MS.406 C1 * Morane Saulnier MS.500/MS.502 Criquet * Morane Saulnier MS.733 Alcyon * Morane Saulnier MS760 Paris * Nieuport IV.H * Nieuport VI.H *

Nieuport 12 The Nieuport 12 (or Nieuport XII in contemporary sources) was a French Biplane#Sesquiplane, sesquiplane reconnaissance, fighter aircraft and trainer used by France, Russia, United Kingdom, Great Britain and the United States during World War I. ...

* Nieuport N.21/N.23 * Nieuport NiD.62 C1/NiD.622 C1 * Nord 262 Frégate * North American NAA.57 P2 * North American SNJ-3/4/5 *

Piper PA-31 Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of twin-engined low-wing tricycle gear utility aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for small cargo and feeder airlines, and as a corporate aircraft. Production ran from 1967 to 1984. It was licen ...

* Potez 25 A2/TOE * Potez 452 * Potez 567 * Potez 631 C3 * Salmson Sal.2 A2 *

SCAN 20 The SCAN 20 was a 1940s French flying-boat training monoplane designed and built by Société de Constructions Aéro-Navales de Port-Neuf (SCAN). The prototype was built in secret in 1941. It was hidden until the liberation of France and first fl ...

* Short Sunderland Mk.III/V * SNCAC/Farman NC.470 * SNCAC NC.701/NC.702 Martinet * SNCAN N.1001/N.1002 Pingouin * SNCAN N.1101 Noralpha * SNCAN N.1402 Noroit * SNCAN SV.4C Stampe * SNCAO/Loire-Nieuport LN.401/LN.411 * SNCASE R.82 Romano * SNCASE Leo.451 * SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc/Bloch MB.160 * SNCASE Aquilon * SNCASO/Bloch MB.175 * SNCASO SO.94/95 Corse * SNCASO SO.30P Bretagne * SOCATA MS.880 Rallye * Sopwith Sop.1 A2 * Sopwith Baby/130hp Clerget * Sopwith Triplan C.1 * SPAD S.VII C.1 * SPAD S.XIII C.1 * SPAD XIV Canon * Stinson 105 * Supermarine Seafire Mk.III/IX/XV * Supermarine Sea Otter *

Supermarine Walrus The Supermarine Walrus is a British single-engine Amphibious aircraft, amphibious biplane designed by Supermarine's R. J. Mitchell. Primarily used as a maritime patrol aircraft, it was the first British Squadron (aviation), squadron-service ai ...

* Tampier T.4 * Taylorcraft L-2 * Tellier Canon 200 hp * Tellier 200 hp * Tellier 350Hp * Tellier BM 400 hp CanardVoisin

* Villiers Vil.2AM C.2 *

Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington (nicknamed the Wimpy) is a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson, a key feature of t ...

* Voisin L *

Voisin Canard The Voisin Canard was an aircraft developed by the Voisin brothers during 1910 and first flown early in 1911. It was named the '' Canard'' because of the resemblance of its forward fuselage to that of a duck's long neck while in flight. It was ...

* Voisin III * Voisin VIII * Vought V.156-F * Wibault Wib.74 C.1

Helicopters and autogyros

Aérospatiale Alouette II The Aérospatiale Alouette II (, "lark"; company designations SE 313 and SA 318) is a French light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale. It was the first production helicopter powered by a gas turbine e ...

* Aérospatiale Super Frelon *

Bell 47 The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first heli ...

* LeO C-30 * Lynx Mk.4(FN) * Piasecki H-21C * Piasecki HUP-2 * Sikorsky H-51 * Sikorsky S-55 *

Sikorsky S-58 The Sikorsky H-34 (company designation S-58) is an American Reciprocating engine, piston-engined military utility helicopter originally designed by Sikorsky Aircraft, Sikorsky as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft for the United States ...

* 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.