Dassault Super Étendard

Dassault Super Étendard is a French Navy carrier-based strike fighter developed by Dassault Aviation, a leading French aerospace company, in collaboration with Aérospatiale and Thomson-CSF. The aircraft is an upgraded version of the Étendard IV, with improved avionics and radar systems, including the Thomson-CSF AN/APG-66 radar, and a more powerful SNECMA Atar engine. The development of the Dassault Super Étendard was influenced by the Cold War era, with the Soviet Union's Beriev A-50 and Tupolev Tu-95 posing a significant threat to NATO's naval forces, including the United States Navy's USS Nimitz and the Royal Navy's HMS Invincible. The Dassault Super Étendard played a crucial role in several conflicts, including the Falklands War, where it was used by the Argentine Navy against the Royal Navy's HMS Sheffield and HMS Coventry.

● Development

The development of the Dassault Super Étendard began in the late 1970s, with the French Navy requiring a more advanced strike fighter to replace the Étendard IV. The project involved collaboration between Dassault Aviation, Aérospatiale, and Thomson-CSF, with the United States' Grumman and McDonnell Douglas providing technical assistance. The Dassault Super Étendard was designed to be compatible with the French Navy's Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier and the Foch-class aircraft carrier, and was influenced by the United States Navy's Grumman F-14 Tomcat and the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25. The development of the Dassault Super Étendard was also influenced by the Yom Kippur War, where the Israeli Air Force's McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the Egyptian Air Force's Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 played a significant role.

● Design

The Dassault Super Étendard features a delta wing design, with a length of 14.3 meters and a wingspan of 9.6 meters. The aircraft is powered by a single SNECMA Atar engine, which provides a thrust of 4,900 kilograms. The Dassault Super Étendard has a maximum takeoff weight of 12,000 kilograms and a service ceiling of 15,500 meters. The aircraft is equipped with a Thomson-CSF AN/APG-66 radar and a Matra R550 Magic air-to-air missile system, and can carry a variety of air-to-ground munitions, including the ANL laser-guided bomb and the AS-30L wire-guided missile. The Dassault Super Étendard's design was influenced by the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and the North American XB-70 Valkyrie, and was designed to be compatible with the French Navy's Exocet anti-ship missile system.

● Operational History

The Dassault Super Étendard entered service with the French Navy in 1978, and has since been used in several conflicts, including the Lebanon War and the Gulf War. The aircraft was used by the Argentine Navy during the Falklands War, where it sank the Royal Navy's HMS Sheffield and HMS Coventry. The Dassault Super Étendard has also been used by the Iraqi Air Force during the Iran-Iraq War, where it was used to attack Iranian oil facilities, including the Abadan Refinery and the Kharg Island oil terminal. The Dassault Super Étendard has been operated by several countries, including Argentina, Iraq, and Peru, and has been used in several United Nations peacekeeping missions, including the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon and the UNIIMOG mission in Iran and Iraq.

● Variants

The Dassault Super Étendard has several variants, including the Super Étendard Modernisé, which features improved avionics and radar systems, including the Thales RBE2 radar and the Sagem AASM precision-guided munition system. The Super Étendard Modernisé is equipped with a SNECMA M53 engine, which provides a thrust of 9,500 kilograms, and can carry a variety of air-to-ground munitions, including the MBDA SCALP EG cruise missile and the Thales Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) precision-guided munition system. Other variants of the Dassault Super Étendard include the Super Étendard SEM, which is used for electronic warfare and reconnaissance missions, and the Super Étendard D, which is used for training and conversion missions.

● Operators

The Dassault Super Étendard has been operated by several countries, including France, Argentina, Iraq, and Peru. The aircraft is currently in service with the French Navy, which operates a fleet of Super Étendard Modernisé aircraft from its Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier and Foch-class aircraft carrier. The Argentine Navy also operates a fleet of Dassault Super Étendard aircraft, which are used for patrol and reconnaissance missions in the South Atlantic. The Dassault Super Étendard has also been operated by the Iraqi Air Force, which used the aircraft during the Iran-Iraq War and the Gulf War.

● Specifications

The Dassault Super Étendard has a length of 14.3 meters and a wingspan of 9.6 meters. The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 12,000 kilograms and a service ceiling of 15,500 meters. The Dassault Super Étendard is powered by a single SNECMA Atar engine, which provides a thrust of 4,900 kilograms. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 1,200 kilometers per hour and a range of 1,800 kilometers. The Dassault Super Étendard is equipped with a Thomson-CSF AN/APG-66 radar and a Matra R550 Magic air-to-air missile system, and can carry a variety of air-to-ground munitions, including the ANL laser-guided bomb and the AS-30L wire-guided missile. The Dassault Super Étendard's specifications are similar to those of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25, and are influenced by the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and the North American XB-70 Valkyrie. Category:Aircraft