Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard

Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard
Name	Super Étendard
Type	Carrier-based strike fighter
Manufacturer	Dassault Aviation
First flight	28 October 1974
Introduced	1978
Retired	2016 (French Navy), 2017 (Argentine Navy)
Status	Retired from active service
Primary users	French Navy, Argentine Navy
Number built	85
Developed from	Dassault Étendard IV

Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard. The Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard was a French carrier-based strike fighter designed in the 1970s as a modernized successor to the Dassault Étendard IV. Primarily operated by the French Navy's Aéronavale and the Argentine Navy, it gained significant fame during the Falklands War. The aircraft was renowned for its ability to deliver precision-guided munitions, most notably the Aérospatiale AM39 Exocet anti-ship missile.

Development

The development of the Super Étendard was initiated to replace the aging Dassault Étendard IV in French naval service. The program emerged after the cancellation of the more advanced Dassault-Breguet Super Mirage and Aéronavale's Breguet Br.121 project. Dassault Aviation secured a contract in 1973 for an extensively upgraded Étendard, focusing on a new engine and modern avionics. The prototype, modified from an existing Dassault Étendard IVM, first flew on 28 October 1974 from the Istres-Le Tubé Air Base. The program faced budgetary challenges but proceeded due to the urgent need for a capable carrier-based attacker, with the first production aircraft delivered in 1977.

Design

The Super Étendard was a single-seat, single-engine mid-wing monoplane with an all-metal semi-monocoque structure. It retained the general aerodynamic layout of the Dassault Étendard IV but incorporated significant improvements. The airframe was strengthened for carrier operations, featuring an arrestor hook and catapult attachments compatible with the Clemenceau-class carriers. Its most critical upgrade was the replacement of the original SNECMA Atar engine with the more powerful non-afterburning SNECMA Atar 8K-50. The cockpit featured updated instrumentation and a modern Thomson-CSF radar, the Agave, which enabled the use of the Aérospatiale AM39 Exocet. Armament included two internal 30 mm DEFA cannon and five hardpoints for carrying missiles, bombs, or external fuel tanks.

Operational history

The Super Étendard entered service with the Aéronavale in 1978 aboard the aircraft carrier FS ''Clemenceau''. Its most notable combat deployment occurred during the Falklands War in 1982 with the Argentine Navy. Operating from Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentine Super Étendards launched Aérospatiale AM39 Exocet missiles that severely damaged HMS ''Sheffield'' and sank SS Atlantic Conveyor. The French Navy employed its Super Étendards in numerous conflicts, including operations over Lebanon in 1983-1984, the Gulf War in 1991, the Bosnian War, and the Kosovo War. Later in its career, it was used over Afghanistan and during the 2011 military intervention in Libya before being retired from French service in July 2016 and replaced by the Dassault Rafale.

Variants

The primary production model was the **Super Étendard** for the French Navy. A modernized version, the **Super Étendard Modernisé (SEM)**, was upgraded in the 1990s with a new Thales radar, modernized cockpit with Head-up display and Multifunction displays, and compatibility with advanced weapons like the ASMP nuclear missile and Laser-guided bombs. Five aircraft were converted into **Super Étendard Modernisé Pénétration (SEMP)** standard for specific reconnaissance and electronic warfare roles. The export model sold to Argentina was essentially similar to the initial French version, though Argentine aircraft later received some avionics updates.

Operators

The principal operator was the French Navy's Aéronavale, which flew the type from its Clemenceau-class aircraft carriers and later the FS ''Charles de Gaulle''. The only export customer was the Argentine Navy, which received 14 aircraft. The Argentine aircraft saw combat during the Falklands War and remained in service until their final retirement in November 2017. A small number of retired French aircraft were reportedly acquired by private defense contractors in the United States for use as aggressor aircraft.

Specifications (Super Étendard)

* **Crew:** 1 * **Length:** 14.31 m (46 ft 11 in) * **Wingspan:** 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) * **Height:** 3.86 m (12 ft 8 in) * **Empty weight:** 6,500 kg (14,330 lb) * **Max takeoff weight:** 12,000 kg (26,455 lb) * **Powerplant:** 1 × SNECMA Atar 8K-50 turbojet engine, 49 kN (11,000 lbf) thrust * **Maximum speed:** 1,180 km/h (730 mph, 640 kn) at sea level * **Range:** 1,820 km (1,130 mi, 980 nmi) with external fuel * **Service ceiling:** 13,700 m (44,900 ft) * **Armament:** 2 × 30 mm DEFA cannon with 125 rounds per gun, 5 hardpoints for up to 2,100 kg (4,630 lb) of stores, including Aérospatiale AM39 Exocet, Matra Magic missiles, bombs, rockets, or a AN-52 nuclear bomb.

Category:Military aircraft of France Category:Carrier-based aircraft Category:Strike aircraft