| French Naval Aviation | |
|---|---|
| Force maritime de l'aéronautique navale | |
 | |
| Founded | 20 March 1912 |
| Country |  France |
| Branch |  French Navy |
| Type | Naval aviation |
| Size | 6,800 personnel 178 aircraft[1][2] |
| Nickname(s) | Sky Navy 'La Marine du Ciel |
| Motto(s) | Honneur, patrie, valeur, discipline |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Contre-amiral Eric Janicot |
| French Navy |
|---|
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| Command |
| Components |
| Equipment |
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French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: Aéronavale (contraction of Aéronautique navale), or Aviation navale, or more simply l'Aéro) is the naval air arm of the French Navy. The long-form official designation is Force maritime de l'aéronautique navale. Born as a fusion of aircraft carrier squadrons and the naval patrol air force, the Aéronavale was created in 1912. The force is under the command of a flag officer officially titled Admiral of Naval Aviation (ALAVIA) with his headquarters at Toulon naval base. It has a strength of around 6,800 military and civilian personnel. It operates from four airbases in Metropolitan France and several detachments in foreign countries or French overseas territories. Carrier-borne pilots of the French Navy do their initial training at Salon-de-Provence Air Base after which they undergo their carrier qualification with the US Navy.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2019". Flightglobal: 16. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ "Defence Key Figures: 2016 Edition". Defense.gouv.fr. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016. (download PDF file or see HTML version Archived 6 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine)