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The Dassault Étendard IV was a subsonic carrier borne strike fighter aircraft, which entered service with the French Naval Aviation Aéronavale in 1962. It served as the basis for the more advanced Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard. During the 1970s, it had been intended to replace the Étendard IV with a navalised version of the Jaguar M, however development of the Jaguar M was cancelled and shortly replaced by the Super Étendard. The Étendard IV was progressively withdrawn during the 1980s and finally retired from service with its sole operator in 1991. The French Navy would procure for 69 Étendard IVM fighters and 21 Étendard IVP recon versions. From 1962, these were being deployed aboard the service’s Aircraft Carrier the Clemenceau and Foch.
Dassault Étendard IV
The Mighty Super Etendard
The Super Étendard ( BattleFlag) first flew in October 1974 and entered French service in June 1978. French Super Étendards have served in several conflicts such as the Kosovo Ops , the Afghanistan Operations and the operations in Libya . The Super Etendard is further modernized and still in use on the French latest Nuclear aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle. This aircraft is made famous during the 1982 Falkland wars when Argentina Navy uses the Super Etendard to sink the British Type 42 Destroyer and Atlantic Conveyor with the Exocet Missile.
Article by Dave Chng
Pictures by Sung Chia