laststandonzombieisland

When Dassault-Breguet introduced the Super Etendard in 1974, based on the earlier Étendard IV from the 1960s, it was one of the world’s best carrier-based strike aircraft as it was coupled with the Aérospatiale AM 39 Exocet and Thomson-CSF Agave radar. In French service, they could also carry nukes.

The Argentinians bought 14 of these craft, but only five of Super Es and five Exocets were available in 1982 when the Royal Navy came a’calling. However, the Armada put them to good effect.

The Iraqis were “loaned” five Super Étendards briefly and used them against the Iranians in the 1980s, losing one to an IRIAF F-14 before the other four were returned to the French.

Speaking of France, they flew 71 of them from the carriers Clemenceau and Foch then later the DeGaulle, and took them into combat over Lebanon, Serbia, Afghanistan and Libya.

On 17 March 2016, it was the end of an era for the Super E when the last sortie was launched from DeGaulle.

They will continue limited operations from shore installations for the next few weeks but by the time summer gets hot they will be fully retired, placed by the Rafale.

The Argies still own 11, but they retired their carrier, ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (V-2), in 1993 and, though they have done the occasional touch and goes on Brazilian and U.S. flattops in recent years, they are more museum pieces than combat operational.