French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: Aéronavale (contraction of Aéronautique navale), or Aviation navale, or more simply l'Aéro) is the 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

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedIn serviceTotalNotes
Bréguet Atlantique IIFranceTurbopropASW22To be replaced by Airbus A321 MPA.
Dassault Falcon 10 MFranceJetUtility6
Dassault Falcon 50 MFranceJetPatrol8
Dassault Falcon 200 GuardianFranceJetPatrol5
Dassault Rafale MFranceJetMultirole42
Embraer EMB 121 XinguBrazilTurbopropUtility11
Eurocopter AS365 DauphinFranceRotorcraftSAR15
Eurocopter AS565 PantherFranceRotorcraftUtility16
Grumman E-2C HawkeyeUSATurbopropAEW&C3
Mudry CAP 10FrancePropellerTrainer7
NHIndustries NH90 Caïman MarineFranceRotorcraftASW/SAR27
Airbus Helicopters H160FranceRotorcraftASW/SAR6

Structure

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
SquadronInsigniaTypeAircraftBaseRoleNotes
Embarked Air Group (Le Groupe aérien embarqué)
4FFixed wingE-2C HawkeyeLann BihouéCarrier airborne early warning
11FFixed wingRafale MLandivisiauStrike fighter
12FFixed wingRafale MLandivisiauStrike fighter
17FFixed wingRafale MLandivisiauStrike fighterEnded conversion to Rafale M in June 2016.
RotaryEurocopter AS365 DauphinHyèresPlane guardNot part of the GAE. Charles de Gaulle set sail on cruises with two Dauphin helicopters from 35F.
Naval Patrol and Maritime Surveillance Aviation (l'Aviation de patrouille et de surveillance maritime)
21FFixed wingAtlantique 2Lann BihouéAnti-submarine warfare / Naval patrolDetachments at Dakar and Djibouti.
23FFixed wingAtlantique 2Lann BihouéAnti-submarine warfare / Naval patrol
24FFixed wingFalcon 50 MLann BihouéMaritime surveillance / Search and rescue
25FFixed wingFalcon 200 GuardianGAM Faa'aMaritime surveillance / Search and rescueDetachment at Nouméa.
Shipborne and Shore-based Helicopters (Les hélicoptères embarqués et basés à terre)
31FRotaryNH90 CaïmanHyèresSearch and rescue
32FRotaryAirbus Helicopters H160M GuépardLanvéocPreviously used SA321G Super Frelon.
33FRotaryNH90 CaïmanLanvéocAnti-submarine warfare / Search and rescue
34FRotaryEurocopter AS365 Dauphin/NH90 CaïmanLanvéocAnti-submarine warfareDisbanded 4 September 2020. Planned to re-activate in 2021 operating leased SA365M3 Dauphins from Heli-Union and NHV as temporary equipment. To convert to NH90 Caïman.
35FRotaryEurocopter AS365 Dauphin SPIHyèresSearch and rescueDetachments at La Rochelle, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and Faa'a. Uses additional leased AS365N3 from Heli-Union.
36FRotaryEurocopter AS565 PantherHyèresSmall ship flights
Support Aviation (l'Aviation de soutien)
10SRotary/ Fixed wing/UAVSchiebel S-100 ServalHyèresExperimentalAviation and airborne weapons research and development, evaluation at several locations.
22SRotaryDauphin, EC120 ColibriLanvéocRotary operational training / Liaison
28FFixed wingEmbraer XinguLann BihouéNaval patrol and maritime surveillance operational training / Utility / Liaison
50SFixed wingSR20 and CAP-10LanvéocElementary flying training
57SFixed wingFalcon 10 MLandivisiauCombat aviation operational training
  • Insignia of pilots of Naval aviation
  • Arm insignia of personnel of Naval aviation

Retired aircraft

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

From 1951 to 1956, 164 Grumman Avengers were delivered to French Naval Aviation and in service until 1965
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.
The Martin P5M-2 Marlin served in the French navy between 1959 and 1964.
During the Algerian War of independence, the French Navy flew Lockheed Neptunes on surveillance patrol to fight weapons smuggling by sea
The Crusader was the air superiority jet aircraft of the French Navy for 35 years
The Canard Voisin was the first seaplane used by the French Navy

Helicopters and autogyros

French Navy Lynx; In service from 1979 to 2020.

See also

References & notes

External links

  • , about French naval aviation.
  • , Association for Documentation Research on the History of French Naval Aviation.