French Naval Aviation

**Marine Nationale**
	Motto: Honneur, Patrie, Valeur, Discipline
	(“Honour, Homeland, Valour, Discipline”)
Command
	Naval Ministers
	Maritime Prefect
Components
	Force d'action navale
	Forces sous-marines (FOST, ESNA)
	Aviation navale
	FORFUSCO (Commandos Marine, Fusiliers Marins)
	Gendarmerie Maritime
Equipment
	Current fleet
	Current deployments
Personnel
	Ranks in the French Navy
History
	History of the French Navy
	Future of the French Navy
	Ensigns and pennants
	Historic ships; battleships; cruisers; ships of the line; Sail frigates
	Historic fleets
Awards
	Croix de guerre
	Médaille militaire
	Légion d'honneur
	Ribbons

Aéronavale; French Naval Aviation
Founded	1910
Country	France
Branch	French Navy
Size	206 aircraft
Insignia
Roundels

French Naval Aviation (French: Aéronavale) is the naval air arm of the French Navy. Born as a fusion of carrier squadrons and naval patrol air force, the Aéronautique navale was created in 1912. The headquarters is under command of an admiral (ALAVIA) in Toulon naval base. The French Naval Aviation has a strength of around 6,800 military and civilian personnel. They operate 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.

Aircraft

Complete and correct as of May 2016.

Aircraft	Photo	Origin	Role	Version	Quantity^[1]	Note
Fixed-wing aircraft
Rafale M		France	Multirole fighter aircraft	F1 F3	10 30	Two aircraft to be delivered in 2016. All Rafale F1 to be upgraded to F3 standard by early 2017. Last two Rafale M to be delivered in 2020/2021.^[2]
Grumman E-2C Hawkeye		United States	AEW&C	C	3
Atlantique II		France	Maritime patrol	^{[note 1]} C	10 12	5 other Atlantique II are held in reserve.
Dassault Falcon 50		France	Surveillance, reconnaissance	Mi Ms	4 4
Dassault Falcon 200 Guardian	170px	France	Surveillance, reconnaissance		5
Dassault Falcon 10		France	Communications & Transport aircraft	MER	6
Embraer EMB 121 Xingu		Brazil	Transport aircraft & Trainer aircraft	A A1	8 2
Mudry CAP 10		France	Trainer aircraft	B	7
Cirrus SR20		United States	Trainer aircraft		3
Helicopters
NH90 Caiman		France	Maritime helicopter Search and rescue		16	11 more on order.^[3]
Eurocopter EC225		France	Search and rescue	SECMAR	2
Westland Lynx		United Kingdom	Maritime helicopter	Mk.2 (FN)	21
Eurocopter AS565 Panther		France	Maritime helicopter	SA	19	Panther is the military version of the Dauphin
Eurocopter SA 365 Dauphin		France	Search and rescue	F-1 N N3	3 6 2
Aérospatiale Alouette III		France	Utility aircraft	SA316B SA316 B VSV SA319B	22

Structure

Active bases of the French naval air arm (status 2013).

Components

The French Naval Aviation has four components:

The air complements of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle: 16x Rafale M, 8x Super Étendard Modernise and two E-2 Hawkeye
Naval patrol air units: Atlantique 2
On-board (ship) helicopters: Dauphin, Panther, Lynx, Alouette III
Support units

Units

Operational squadrons are known as Flottilles and normal 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	Type	Aircraft	Base	Role	Notes
4F	Fixed wing	E-2C Hawkeye	BAN Lann Bihoue	Carrier Airborne Early Warning
11F	Fixed wing	Rafale M	BAN Landivisiau	Strike Fighter
12F	Fixed wing	Rafale M	BAN Landivisiau	Strike Fighter
17F	Fixed wing	Super Étendard	BAN Landivisiau	Strike Fighter	To convert to Rafale M on 2016.
21F	Fixed wing	Atlantique II	BAN Lann Bihoue	Maritime patrol	detachments at Dakar and Djibouti
23F	Fixed wing	Atlantique II	BAN Lann Bihoue	Maritime patrol
24F	Fixed wing	Falcon 50 M	BAN Lann Bihoue	Maritime patrol
25F	Fixed wing	Falcon 200 Guardian	GAM Faa’a	Maritime patrol	detachment at Nouméa
28F	Fixed wing	Embraer Xingu	BAN Lann Bihoue	Utility
31F	Rotary	NH90 Caiman	BAN Hyeres	Search and Rescue
32F	Rotary	EC225 SECMAR	BAN Lanveoc	Search and Rescue	detachment at Cherbourg
33F	Rotary	NH90 Caiman	BAN Lanveoc	Anti-Submarine Warfare / Search and Rescue
34F	Rotary	Westland Lynx	BAN Lanveoc	Anti-Submarine Warfare	To convert to NH90 Caiman
35F	Rotary	Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, Alouette III	BAN Hyeres	Search and Rescue	detachments at La Rochelle, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and Faa’a
36F	Rotary	Eurocopter AS565 Panther	BAN Hyeres	Small ship flights
10S	Rotary/ Fixed wing/UAV	Alouette III, Westland Lynx, Schiebel S-100 Serval	BAN Hyeres	Experimental
22S	Rotary	Alouette III	BAN Lanveoc	Utility
50S	Fixed wing	SR20 and CAP-10	BAN Lanveoc	Elementary flying training
57S	Fixed wing	Falcon 10 M	BAN Landivisiau	Training (Jets)

Gallery

Two Super Étendard, two Rafale fighters and a E-2C Hawkeye at the 2010s French Naval Aviation Centenary Airshow
Rafale fighter on the flight deck of Charles de Gaulle at dawn.
Rafale fighters on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle
Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft
Lynx WG13 helicopter armed with a Mk46 torpedo on the deck of a frigate
Offshore rescue by French Navy Dauphin helicopter
Panther helicopter lifts off the deck of Guépratte