Fouga CM.175 Zephyr hooked twin-jets are used to give deck-landing training by I'Ecole de I'Air, based at Salon-de-Provence.

Remaining Chance Vought F-8N Crusaders of 42 acquired in 1964 are now operated solely by Flottille 12F at Landivisiau.

With the ACM still some 10 years away from IOC, however, replacement of the Chance Vought F-8N Crusaders may call for the purchase of interim equipment from abroad.

A Westland Lynx of Flottille 31F operating from the French aircraft carrier Foch

From a production batch of Lynx helicopters in two variants, Aeronavale has equipped two Flottilles for ship-based anti-submarine duties.

Remaining Super Frelon helicopters serve in transport (vertrep) as well as anti-submarine roles.

A quartet of Super Etendards from Flottille 11F at Landivisiau. Two aircraft (Nos 6 and 37) carry AN 52 tactical nuclear weapons whilst a third (No 38) displays the latest "toned-down"camouflage.

Super Etendards aboard the "Foch". October 1986.

Alouette IIIs (and some IIs) serve in a number of support roles.

Flottille 16F operates the surviving Etendard IVPs, which are equipped with cameras and flight-refuelling probes, to serve in the reconnaissance role. Seen here aboard the "Foch", this Etendard IVP displays the two-tone bluish-grey camouflage that began to appear in 1984.

Among the most ancient aircraft in the front-line inventories of any major power are the Aeronavale’s Breguet Alize anti-submarine aircraft. Service use began in 1960, and the type has been flown since then without interruption by Flottilles 4F and 6F.

The Aeronavale’s only operational land-based type is the Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft, serving in four Flottilles. Replacement by the Nouvelle Generation Atlantique is in hand, but service entry will not begin until 1990, in Flottilles 23F and 24F at Lann-Bihoue.

Dassault-Breguet Mystere 10s serve with 57S in the Marine Entrainement Radar role.

More than 25 years old, eight Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris light jets serve with 57S as high-speed light transports and radar targets.

The Embraer Xingu entered service at Lann-Bihoue in 1983 with 52S to provide multi-engine training, principally for Atlantic crews.

The Marine Nationale hopes to procure 86 of the Dassault-Breguet Avion de Combat Marine derivatives of the Rafale fighter to serve aboard the new nuclear aircraft carriers "Charles de Gaulle" and "Richelieu" in the late 'nineties.