French Naval Aviation

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 Aviation navale was created on the 19 June 1998. The headquarters is under command of an admiral (ALAVIA) in Toulon naval base. The French Naval Aviation has a strength of around 6,800 civilian and military 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 01 September 2013.

Units
Operational squadrons are known as Flotilles and normal consist of 12 aircraft:
 * 1F to 10F are carrier based anti-submarine squadrons
 * 4F operates the E-2C Hawkeye from Lann Bihoue
 * 11F to 20F are fighter and attack squadrons
 * 11F operates the Rafale M based at Landivisiau
 * 12F operates the Rafale M based at Landivisiau
 * 17F operates the Super Etendard at Landivisiau (flottille 17F)
 * 21F to 30F are maritime patrol squadrons
 * 21F operates the Atlantic 2 from Lann Bihoue with detachments at Dakar and Djibouti
 * 23F operates the Atlantic 2 from Lann Bihoue
 * 24F operates the Falcon 50 and Xingu from Lann Bihoue
 * 25F operates the Falcon 200 Guardian from Tahiti with a detachment at Nouméa
 * 28F operates the Xingu from Lann Bihoue
 * 31F to 39F are helicopter squadrons
 * 31F operates the Westland Lynx from Hyeres will change to the NH90 in 2010
 * 32F operates the EC225 from Lanvéoc
 * 33F operates the NH90 from Hyeres
 * 34F operates the Lynx from Lanvéoc
 * 35F operates Dauphin helicopters from Hyeres with detachments at Cherbourg, La Rochelle, Le Touquet/Paris-Plage and Tahiti
 * 36F operates the Panther from Hyeres

Shore-based training and transport squadrons are known as Escadrilles de Servitude:
 * 1S to 19S are communications squadrons
 * 10S is an experimental unit bases at Hyeres
 * 20S to 29S are helicopters squadrons
 * 22S operates the Alouette III from Lanvéoc


 * 50S to 59S are training squadrons
 * 50S operates the SR20 and CAP-10 from Lanvéoc
 * 57S operates the Falcon 10M from Landivisiau

Components
The French Naval Aviation has four components:
 * The air complements of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle: Rafale, Super Étendard and E-2 Hawkeye
 * Naval patrol air units: Atlantique 2
 * On-board (ship) helicopters: Dauphin, Panther, Lynx, Alouette III
 * Support units

Former Aéronavale aircraft

 * Aérospatiale Rallye 100S
 * Aérospatiale Super Frelon
 * Amiot AAC.1 'Toucan' (Junkers Ju 52)
 * Avro Lancaster - 54 sold by Royal Australian Air Force
 * Breguet Alizé
 * Breguet Atlantic
 * Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer
 * Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
 * Dassault Etendard IV
 * Dassault Falcon 10
 * Douglas C-47 Dakota
 * Douglas C-54 Skymaster
 * Douglas SBD Dauntless
 * Fouga Zéphyr
 * Grumman F6F Hellcat
 * Grumman TBF Avenger
 * Lockheed P-2 Neptune
 * Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris
 * Martin P5M Marlin
 * Nord Pingouin
 * Nord 262
 * Short Sunderland
 * Piper Navajo
 * Sud-Est Aquilon
 * Supermarine Seafire
 * Vought F4U Corsair
 * Vought F-8 Crusader