Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard
Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Infobox aircraft
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.<ref name="Super Etendard retired">Template:Cite news</ref> The final operator of the type was the Argentinian Navy, which opted to retire its Super Étendards in 2023.
Development
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 The Étendard IVM was originally to have been replaced by a navalised version of the SEPECAT Jaguar, designated as the Jaguar M; however the Jaguar M project was stalled by a combination of political problems and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.<ref name= "WAPJ11 p77">Jackson 1992, p. 77.</ref> In 1973, all development work on the Jaguar M was formally cancelled by the French government.<ref>Bowman 2007, p. 26.</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine.</ref> 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.<ref name = "bomber 169">Gunston and Gilchrist 1993, p. 169.</ref> 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.<ref name = "Spearhead p40">Grolleau 2003, p. 40.</ref>
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,<ref name = "Spearhead p40" /> made its maiden flight on 28 October 1974.<ref name = "Janes 82 p65">Taylor 1982, p. 65.</ref><ref>Polmar 2006, p. 330.</ref><ref name = "bomber 170"/> 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.<ref name = "bomber 170">Gunston and Gilchrist 1993, p. 170.</ref> Dassault began making deliveries of the type to the French Navy in June 1978.<ref name="Janes 82 p65"/><ref>Friedman 2006, p. 159.</ref>
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.<ref>"France's Aerospace Industry – Programme by Programme." Flight International, 4 November 1978. p. 1647.</ref>
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.<ref name="Janes 82 p65"/> In 1983, all manufacturing activity was completed, the last delivery to the French Navy taking place that year.<ref name = "bomber 170"/><ref name="Janes up 94 p56">Michell 1994, p. 65.</ref>
Design
The Super Étendard is a small, single-engined, mid-winged aircraft with an all-metal structure. Both the wings and tailplane are swept, with the folding wings having a sweepback of about 45 degrees, while the aircraft is powered by a non-afterburning SNECMA Atar 8K-50 turbojet with a rating of 49 kN (11,025 lbf). Its performance was not much better than the Étendard IV, but its avionics were significantly improved.
The main new weapon of the Super Étendard was the French anti-shipping missile, the Aérospatiale AM 39 Exocet.<ref name = "Spearhead p40" /> The aircraft had a Thomson-CSF Agave radar, an updated version of the Cyrano IV used on the Dassault Mirage F1, which, amongst other functions, was essential to launch the Exocet missile.<ref name= "Spearhead p40" /> One of the major technical advances of the Super Étendard was its onboard UAT-40 central computer; this managed most mission-critical systems, integrating navigational data and functions, radar information and display, and weapons targeting and controls.<ref>Friedman 2006, pp. 159–60.</ref>
In the 1990s, significant modifications and upgrades were made to the type, including an updated UAT-90 computer and a new Thomson-CSF Anemone radar which provided nearly double the range of the previous Agave radar.<ref name = "friedman 160">Friedman 2006, p. 160.</ref> Other upgrades at this time included an extensively redesigned cockpit with HOTAS controls, and airframe life-extension work was undertaken; a total of 48 aircraft received these upgrades, at a rate of 15 per year.<ref name = "friedman 160"/> During the 2000s, further improvements included significantly improved self-defence ECM capability to better evade enemy detection and attacks,<ref name= "Spearhead p40-1">Grolleau 2003, pp. 40–41.</ref> cockpit compatibility with night vision goggles, a new inertial data system partly integrating GPS, and compatibility with the Damocles Laser designator pod.<ref name = "friedman 160" />
The Super Étendard could also deploy tactical nuclear weapons;<ref name="Janes 82 p65-6"/> initially these were unguided gravity bombs only, however, during the 1990s the Super Étendard was extensively upgraded, enabling the deployment of the Air-Sol Moyenne Portée, a ramjet-powered air-launched nuclear missile.<ref name="Spearhead p40"/> The aircraft was also refitted with the ability to operate a range of laser-guided bombs and, to enable the type to replace the retiring Étendard IV in the reconnaissance mission, the Super Étendard was fitted to carry a specialist reconnaissance pod as well.<ref name= "Spearhead p40-1" /> However, the aircraft is unable to perform naval landings without jettisoning unexpended ordnance.<ref name = "friedman 160" />
Operational history
Argentina
The Argentine Naval Aviation decided to buy 14 Super Étendards in 1979 after the United States put an arms embargo in place, due to the Dirty War and refused to supply spare parts for Argentina's fleet of A-4Q Skyhawks. Between August and November 1981, five Super Étendards and five anti-ship sea-skimming Exocet missiles were shipped to Argentina.<ref name = "burden p34">Burden et al. 1986, p. 34.</ref> The Super Étendards, armed with Exocet anti-ship missiles played a key role in the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982. The 2nd Naval Squadron was stationed at the Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego naval air base; during the conflict. The threat posed to British naval forces led to the planning of Operation Mikado and other proposed infiltration missions to raid the airbase, aiming to destroy the Super Étendards to prevent their use.<ref>Template:Citation.</ref><ref>Template:Citation.</ref> A total of four Super Étendards were operational during the conflict.<ref name = "bomber 170"/>
A first attempt to attack the British fleet was made on 2 May 1982, but this was abandoned due to in-flight-refuelling problems.<ref name="Burden p35">Burden 1986, p. 35.</ref> On 4 May, two Super Étendards, guided by a Lockheed P-2H Neptune, each launched one Exocet at the British destroyer Template:HMS, with one missile crippling Sheffield.<ref name="Burden p35"/><ref name="Huertas">Huertas 1997, pp. 22–29.</ref> On 25 May, another attack by two Super Étendards resulted in two missiles hitting the merchant ship Template:SS, which was carrying several helicopters and other supplies to the front line.<ref name ="Huertas"/><ref name="Burden p36">Burden 1986, p. 36</ref><ref name="Burden p434,8">Burden 1986, pp. 434, 438.</ref> The Exocets that struck Atlantic Conveyor had been inadvertently redirected by decoy chaff deployed as a defensive measure by other ships;<ref>Freedman 2005, p. 482.</ref> Both Sheffield and Atlantic Conveyor sank whilst under tow some days later following these Exocet strikes.<ref>Freedman 2005, pp. 438, 482, 778.</ref>
On May 30 two Super Étendards, one carrying Argentina's last remaining Exocet, escorted by four A-4C Skyhawks each with 3 500lb bombs, took off to attack the carrier HMS Invincible.
Following the end of the conflict, by 1984 Argentina had received all the 14 Super Étendards ordered, and Exocets with which to arm them.<ref>Freedman 2005, p. 701.</ref> Super Étendards performed qualifications on the aircraft carrier ARA 25 de Mayo until the ship's final retirement.<ref>Template:YouTube</ref> Since 1993, Argentine pilots have practised on board the neighbouring Brazilian Navy's aircraft carrier Template:Ship. Touch-and-go landing exercises were also common on US Navy carriers during Gringo-Gaucho manoeuvres and joint exercises.<ref>Polmar 2006, pp. 329–30.</ref>
In 2009, an agreement was signed between Argentina and France to upgrade Argentina's remaining fleet of Super Étendards.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> An earlier proposal to acquire former French Naval Super Étendards was rejected due to high levels of accumulated flight hours; instead equipment and hardware would be removed from retiring French airframes and installed into Argentine aircraft, effectively upgrading them to the Super Étendard Modernisé (SEM) standard.<ref>"Argentine Navy plans Super Étendard upgrade: Update." Template:Webarchive Jane's International Defence Review, 5 May 2009.</ref> By March 2014, while the Argentine Navy continued to seek the upgrade kits for 10 of its 11 remaining Super Étendards; this ambition appears to have been complicated by several factors, France has been non-committal regarding the sought sale; critically, political developments between France and the UK may potentially allow the UK to obstruct the supply of military equipment to Argentina such as the upgrade kits and the Exocet missile.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
During 2017, five Super Étendard Modernisé were purchased from France to bolster the fleet at a cost of €12.5 million, along with a simulator, eight spare engines, and a large batch of spares and tooling.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, while these aircraft were delivered in 2019, in 2020 they were still awaiting the delivery of key spare parts and it was announced that they may not be in operational service for a further two years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2021, it was reported that the aircraft also remained non-operational due to problems obtaining components for the Martin Baker ejection seats manufactured in the U.K.. As a result, alternative parts were being sought in the United States.<ref name="infodefensa.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In early 2022, it was reported that the spare parts problem remained unresolved and the aircraft remained in storage.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 17 May 2023, on the occasion of the 209th anniversary of the Argentine Navy, Argentinean Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana, announced the withdrawal from service of all the Super Étendards of the Aviación Naval Argentina.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
France
Deliveries of the Super Étendard to the French Navy started in 1978, with the first squadron, Flottille 11F becoming operational in February 1979. As they offered no air combat capabilities France had to extend useful life of its Crusaders fighters, as no replacement option was found.
In total, three operational squadrons and a training unit were equipped with the Super Étendard.<ref name="Spearhead p40"/> The Super Étendards would operate from both of France's aircraft carriers at that time, Template:Ship and Template:Ship; either carrier's air wing typically comprised 16 Super Étendards, 10 F-8 Crusaders, 3 Étendard IVPs, 7 Breguet Alizé anti-submarine aircraft, as well as numerous helicopters.<ref>Jackson 2010, p. 76.</ref>
The first fighting operational missions took place in Lebanon during Operation Olifant. On 22 September 1983, French Navy Super Étendards operating from Foch bombed and destroyed Syrian forces positions after a few artillery rounds were fired at the French peace keepers.<ref name= "Jackson AI p66">Jackson 1986, p.66.</ref> On November 10, a Super Étendard dodged a Syrian SA-7 shoulder-launched missile near Bourj el-Barajneh while flying over Druze positions.<ref>Template:Citation.</ref> On 17 November 1983, the same airplanes attacked and destroyed an Islamic Amal training camp in Baalbeck after a terrorist attack on French paratroopers in Beirut.<ref>Koven, Ronald. "France: Shiites Planned More Strikes." Boston Globe, 18 November 1983.</ref>
From 1991, the original pure attack Étendard IVMs were withdrawn from French service;<ref name = "Spearhead p39">Grolleau 2003, p.39.</ref> though the reconnaissance version of the Étendard IV, the IVP, remained in service until July 2000.<ref name = "Spearhead p39-0">Grolleau 2003, pp. 39–40.</ref> In response, the Super Étendards underwent a series of upgrades throughout the 1990s to add new capabilities and update existing systems for use in the modern battlefield. Designated Super Étendard Modernisé (SEM), the first combat missions for the type came during NATO's Allied Force operations over Serbia in 1999 flying 400 combat missions. An Étendard IVPM from the Flottile 16.F was hit by a Serb SAM on 15 April 1994, while flying a reconnaissance mission over Gorazde, Bosnia, as part of Operation Deny Flight. The pilot managed to safely land on Clemenceau despite heavy damage on its tailpipe, elevators and fin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The SEM also flew strike missions in Operation Enduring Freedom. Mission Héraclès starting 21 November 2001 saw the deployment of the aircraft carrier Template:Ship and its Super Étendards in Afghanistan. Operation Anaconda, starting on 2 March 2002 saw extensive use of the Super Étendard in support of French and allied ground troops. Super Étendards returned to operations over Afghanistan in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010–2011. One of their main roles was to carry laser designation pods to illuminate targets for Dassault Rafales.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In March 2011, Étendards were deployed as a part of Task Force 473, during France's Opération Harmattan in support of UN resolution 1973 during the Libyan conflict.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They were paired again with Dassault Rafales on interdiction missions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The final Super Étendards in French naval aviation were in one "flottille" (squadron) called flottille 17F. All Super Étendards were retired from French service on 12 July 2016 to be replaced by the Dassault Rafale M, 42 years after the subsonic attack jet performed its first flight.<ref name="Super Etendard retired"/> The Super Étendard's last operational deployment from Charles de Gaulle was in support of Opération Chammal against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, which began in late 2015.<ref>French Carrier Strike Group to Deploy to Eastern Mediterranean with Largest Airwing Ever Template:Webarchive – Navyrecognition.com, 16 November 2015</ref> On 16 March 2016, the aircraft undertook its final launch from Charles de Gaulle ahead of its final withdrawal from service in July.
Iraq
A total of five Super Étendards were loaned to Iraq in 1983 while the country was waiting for deliveries of Agave-equipped Dassault Mirage F1EQ capable of launching Exocet missiles that had been ordered; the first of these aircraft arrived in Iraq on 8 October 1983.<ref name="Jackson AI p69">Jackson 1986, p.69.</ref> The provision of Super Étendards to Iraq was politically controversial, the United States and Iraq's neighbour Iran were vocal in their opposition while Saudi Arabia supported the loan; the aircraft were seen as an influential factor in the 1980–88 Iraq-Iran War as they could launch Exocet strikes on Iranian merchant shipping traversing the Persian Gulf.<ref>"Étendards in Iraq since October 8." Flight International, 19 November 1983. p. 1342.</ref><ref>Raj, Christopher S. "Shadow of Super Étendards over the Gulf." Strategic Analysis, 7(10). 1984. pp. 799–808.</ref> The Super Étendards began maritime operations over Persian Gulf in March 1984; a total of 34 attacks were carried out on Iranian shipping through the rest of 1984.<ref>Kupersmith 1993, p. 29.</ref> Tankers of any nationality that were carrying Iranian crude oil were also subject to Iraqi attacks.<ref name = "bomber 171">Gunston and Gilchrist 1993, p. 171.</ref>
Iraq typically deployed the Super Étendards in pairs, escorted by Mirage F1EQ fighters from bases in Southern Iraq; once inside the mission zone, the Super Étendards would search for targets using their onboard radar and engage suspected tankers at long range without visual identification.<ref>Kupersmith 1993, p. 30.</ref> While tankers would typically be struck by a launched Exocet, they were often only lightly damaged.<ref>Kupersmith 1993, p. 43.</ref> On 2 April 1984, an Iraqi Super Étendard was reportedly shot down by a AIM-7E-2 missile fired by an Iranian F-4E Phantom II piloted by Khosrow Adibi over Kharg Island.<ref>Cooper and Bishop 2003, p. 88.</ref> Separately, on 26 July and 7 August 1984, claims of Super Étendard losses to Iranian Grumman F-14A Tomcats were reported.<ref name = "cooper 48" /> Iran claimed a total of three Super Étendards to have been shot down by Iranian interceptors; France stated that four of the five leased aircraft were returned to France in 1985.<ref name = "cooper 48">Cooper 2004, p. 48.</ref>
Operators
Potential operators
- Ukrainian Air Force. Speculation suggests Argentina had offered to transfer the 5 jets it had previously bought back to France for overhaul and eventual donation to Ukraine in exchange for drones or helicopters.<ref name="Ukraine" />
Former operators
November 1981 - May 2023
- 19
June 1978 - July 2016
- 71
October 1983 - 1985
- 5
- 76 SquadronTemplate:Efn
Surviving aircraft
- On display
- s/n:01 - The paint has peeled off, but the wings are deployed and in excellent condition.
- s/n:02 - Musee de l'Aeronautique Navale.The wings are folded.The display location was later changed to an urban area, where it was fitted with a rocket launcher(Status after the move).
- s/n:08 - Musee de l'Aeronautique Navale.The wings are folded.
- s/n:25 - Ailes Anciennes Toulouse.The wings are folded.
- s/n:33 - Conservatoire de l'Air et de l'Espace d'Aquitaine.
- s/n:57 - French Naval Academy.
- s/n:68 - Downtown Toulouse. The paint has peeled off but the plane is still in its original form and the wings are spread out.
- s/n:78 - Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.The prototype was recently retired and is in excellent condition with the wing deployment mechanism still functioning.
- s/n:79 - After being decommissioned, it was used for a time as educational equipment.
Specifications
See also
Template:Portal Template:Aircontent Current squadrons
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
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- Ripley, Tim. "Directory: Military Aircraft". Flight International, 25–31 May 2004. Sutton, UK: Reed Business Press, pp. 38–73.
- Taylor, John W.R. (ed). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1982. Template:ISBN.