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Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard
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Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard
The Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard (Étendard is French for "battle flag", cognate to English "standard") is a French retired carrier-borne strike fighter aircraft designed and produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault-Breguet. It was primarily used by the French Navy, and was also operated by Iraq (on a temporary lease) and Argentina.
The Super Étendard was developed during the 1970s after French officials decided against procuring a navalised version of the SEPECAT Jaguar. It drew heavily upon the Étendard IVM, being equipped with a more powerful engine as well as a new wing and improved avionics drawn from Dassault's other aircraft. The Super Étendard performed its maiden flight in October 1974 and entered service with the French Navy in June 1978. In French service, the type saw use during several conflicts including the Kosovo war, the war in Afghanistan and the military intervention in Libya.
Both Iraqi and Argentinian Super Étendard saw active combat during their service life. The Argentinian Navy made use of both the Super Étendard and the Exocet anti-ship missile during the 1982 Falklands War, which led to the aircraft gaining considerable recognition with the general public. The Super Étendard was used by Iraq to attack oil tankers and merchant shipping in the Persian Gulf during the Iraq-Iran War. The French Navy opted to withdraw the last of its Super Étendards during 2016 in favour of the newer Dassault Rafale. The final operator of the type was the Argentinian Navy, which opted to retire its Super Étendards in 2023.
The Super Étendard is a development of the earlier Étendard IVM which had been developed in the 1950s. The Étendard IVM was originally to have been replaced by a navalised version of the SEPECAT Jaguar, designated as the Jaguar M; however the Jaguar M project was stalled by a combination of political problems and issues experienced during trial deployments on board carriers. Specifically, the Jaguar M had suffered handling problems when being flown on a single engine and a poor throttle response time that made landing back on a carrier after an engine failure difficult. In 1973, all development work on the Jaguar M was formally cancelled by the French government.
There were several proposed aircraft to replace the Jaguar M, including the LTV A-7 Corsair II and the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Dassault exerted its political influence with the French government and produced its own proposal to meet the requirement. According to Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist, Dassault had played a significant role in the cancellation of the Jaguar M with the aim of creating a vacancy for their own proposal – the Super Étendard. The Super Étendard was essentially an improved version of the existing Étendard IVM, outfitted with a more powerful engine, a new wing and improved avionics. Dassault sold its plane as the only fully French-made candidate, and as cheaper than the other contestants, using modern technology already proven in existing Dassault planes. Dassault's Super Étendard proposal was accepted by the French Navy in 1973, leading to a series of prototypes being quickly assembled.
The first of three prototypes to be built, an Étendard IVM which had been modified with the new engine and some of the new avionics, made its maiden flight on 28 October 1974. The original intention of the French Navy was to order a total of 100 Super Étendards, however the order placed was for 60 of the new model with options for a further 20; further budget cuts and an escalation in the aircraft's per unit price eventually led to only 71 Super Étendards being purchased. Dassault began making deliveries of the type to the French Navy in June 1978.
In the first year of production, 15 Super Étendards were produced for the French Navy, allowing the formation of the first squadron in 1979. Dassault produced the aircraft at a rough rate of two per month.
The Argentine Navy was the only export customer. Argentina placed an order for 14 aircraft to meet their requirements for a capable new fighter that could operate from their sole aircraft carrier. In 1983, all manufacturing activity was completed, the last delivery to the French Navy taking place that year.
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Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard
The Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard (Étendard is French for "battle flag", cognate to English "standard") is a French retired carrier-borne strike fighter aircraft designed and produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault-Breguet. It was primarily used by the French Navy, and was also operated by Iraq (on a temporary lease) and Argentina.
The Super Étendard was developed during the 1970s after French officials decided against procuring a navalised version of the SEPECAT Jaguar. It drew heavily upon the Étendard IVM, being equipped with a more powerful engine as well as a new wing and improved avionics drawn from Dassault's other aircraft. The Super Étendard performed its maiden flight in October 1974 and entered service with the French Navy in June 1978. In French service, the type saw use during several conflicts including the Kosovo war, the war in Afghanistan and the military intervention in Libya.
Both Iraqi and Argentinian Super Étendard saw active combat during their service life. The Argentinian Navy made use of both the Super Étendard and the Exocet anti-ship missile during the 1982 Falklands War, which led to the aircraft gaining considerable recognition with the general public. The Super Étendard was used by Iraq to attack oil tankers and merchant shipping in the Persian Gulf during the Iraq-Iran War. The French Navy opted to withdraw the last of its Super Étendards during 2016 in favour of the newer Dassault Rafale. The final operator of the type was the Argentinian Navy, which opted to retire its Super Étendards in 2023.
The Super Étendard is a development of the earlier Étendard IVM which had been developed in the 1950s. The Étendard IVM was originally to have been replaced by a navalised version of the SEPECAT Jaguar, designated as the Jaguar M; however the Jaguar M project was stalled by a combination of political problems and issues experienced during trial deployments on board carriers. Specifically, the Jaguar M had suffered handling problems when being flown on a single engine and a poor throttle response time that made landing back on a carrier after an engine failure difficult. In 1973, all development work on the Jaguar M was formally cancelled by the French government.
There were several proposed aircraft to replace the Jaguar M, including the LTV A-7 Corsair II and the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Dassault exerted its political influence with the French government and produced its own proposal to meet the requirement. According to Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist, Dassault had played a significant role in the cancellation of the Jaguar M with the aim of creating a vacancy for their own proposal – the Super Étendard. The Super Étendard was essentially an improved version of the existing Étendard IVM, outfitted with a more powerful engine, a new wing and improved avionics. Dassault sold its plane as the only fully French-made candidate, and as cheaper than the other contestants, using modern technology already proven in existing Dassault planes. Dassault's Super Étendard proposal was accepted by the French Navy in 1973, leading to a series of prototypes being quickly assembled.
The first of three prototypes to be built, an Étendard IVM which had been modified with the new engine and some of the new avionics, made its maiden flight on 28 October 1974. The original intention of the French Navy was to order a total of 100 Super Étendards, however the order placed was for 60 of the new model with options for a further 20; further budget cuts and an escalation in the aircraft's per unit price eventually led to only 71 Super Étendards being purchased. Dassault began making deliveries of the type to the French Navy in June 1978.
In the first year of production, 15 Super Étendards were produced for the French Navy, allowing the formation of the first squadron in 1979. Dassault produced the aircraft at a rough rate of two per month.
The Argentine Navy was the only export customer. Argentina placed an order for 14 aircraft to meet their requirements for a capable new fighter that could operate from their sole aircraft carrier. In 1983, all manufacturing activity was completed, the last delivery to the French Navy taking place that year.
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