Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard

Overview

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. The final operator of the type was the Argentinian Navy, which opted to retire its Super Étendards in 2023.