French Naval Aviation

Aviation Navale ( AVIA ) is the name of the French naval aviation. She is one of four main parts of the French Navy. In its current form, the AVIA is the result of merging the carrier air units and land-based naval patrol units on 19 June 1998.

This naval part is under the command of Rear Admiral and has its headquarters in Toulon. It is responsible for managing, training and combat readiness of its units.

The aviation navale has a long history, stretching from the French pioneer achievements in Naval Aviation in the early 20th century to today. France has provided one of the first naval aviation units in service with the establishment of the service de l'aviation maritime in 1912.

  • 2.1 aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle
  • 2.2 Marine airbases - Base d' Aéronautique Navale

Equipment and tasks

The Aéronavale operates 235 aircraft (as of 2009 ) are divided into four areas.

Aviation embarquée - carrier -based aviator

Stationed on the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle:

  • 36 Super Étendard modernisés fighter-bomber for air -to-ground missions and strategic nuclear strikes
  • 29 Rafale M multi-role combat aircraft, which are to be procured a total of 58.
  • 3 E- 2C Hawkeye air surveillance aircraft to protect the carrier group
  • 27 Westland / Aerospatiale Lynx helicopter Ubootbekämpfung
  • 16 Eurocopter Panther helicopter to the ship's combat

For the Opération Harmattan on Libya transport aircraft were from the U.S. Navy Grumman type borrowed C-2 Greyhound in order to keep the Charles de Gaulle longer without supply in a port in use can.

Maritime patrol - Marine reconnaissance

  • 27 Breguet Atlantique 2 long-range maritime patrol aircraft

Surveillance et sauvetage - Seebeobachtung and Rescue

  • 5 Dassault Falcon Jet Guardian
  • 8 Dassault Falcon 50 Navy jet for reconnaissance, originally 4 Falcon 50M that have been identified since 2013 as the Falcon 50 Mi ( for intervention), in contrast to from 2013 tapered 4 converted transport Falcons, called Falcon 50ms (for support )
  • 6 Eurocopter Dauphin helicopter SP
  • Aérospatiale Super Frelon helicopter 8
  • 8 NHI NH90 Caiman helicopters ( ordered as a replacement for SeaLynx and Super Frelon )

Soutien - support units

  • 2 Alouette VSV
  • 9 Socata Rallye 100S training machines

Stationing locations

Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle

With the Clemenceau and Foch of the Aéronavale stood up in the late 1990s at the same time two carriers available. The Foch was sold to the Brazilian Navy in 2000. The Clemenceau reached the end of their period of service in 1997. Her successor was the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle, who is currently the only carrier. A large part of the aircrafts Aéronavale is stationed on it. With regular maintenance, or technical defects, the squadron have to switch to one of the country bases ( BAN). The Navy is in the process with the Porte Avions 2 (short: PA-2 ) to plan a second aircraft carrier to remedy this situation, and again to ensure a permanent carrier presence in the world's oceans. Its completion is not expected until between 2015 and 2020.

Navy airbases - Base d' Aéronautique Navale

Land use, the French naval aviator own infrastructure, the Aéronautique Navale d' Bases (BAN ) (analogous German Navy airfields ). Overall, there are four such military airfields on the French mainland and overseas (as of 2012).

  • France Base aéronautique navale de Hyères Lee Palustre, base of helicopters
  • Base aéronautique navale de Landivisiau, base of fighter jets
  • Base aéronautique navale de Lann- Bihoué, base reconnaissance aircraft
  • Base aéronautique navale de Lanvéoc - Poulmic, base of helicopters
  • French Overseas Departments and Territories Base Aéronavale de Tontouta in New Caledonia

The base aéronautique navale de Nîmes -Garons was to be closed on July 2, 2011 as part of austerity measures decided on in 2008, after already 7 June 2011 has left the base the final season.

Photo Gallery

The Dassault Super Étendard, is the most important fighter aircraft of the French Navy since 1978., You will gradually be replaced by the more modern Dassault Rafale M.

Navy reconnaissance aircraft Atlantique II on the BAN Hyères in 2001.

Navy reconnaissance aircraft Atlantique II on the runway of the air base Nîmes -Garons in 2007.

The Embraer EMB 121 number 69 of the Marine squadron 24F parked at the airbase Nîmes -Garons.

Dassault Rafale on the deck of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

The French E2C Hawkeye # 1 parked on the airfield Nîmes -Garons

French aircraft carrier Clemenceau (R98) French aircraft carrier PA2 La Tontouta International Airport
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