Flottille 17F
Flottille 17F is a squadron of French Naval Aviation which currently flies the Dassault Rafale M from Landivisiau Naval Air Base. It was formed during April 1958 at Hyeres Naval Air Base and flew the Vought F4U-7 Corsair for training purposes.
Flottille 17F is nicknamed "La glorieuse". The symbol of the 17F flotilla is the osprey.
History
It quickly proved itself in the Algerian theater of operations and Tunisia.The squadron was dissolved in 1962, but later reformed on 10 January 1964 using the Dassault Etendard IV M with the Dassault-Breguet [Super Étendard|Super Etendard] entering service on 5 September 1980, 17F was the first flotilla to use the Super Étendard Modernisé.
The Super Etendard aircraft composing the Flottille 17F regularly embarked aboard the French nuclear aircraft-carrier Charles de Gaulle.
Flottille 17F was involved in many conflicts such as:
- Mission Olifant in 1983 in Lebanon;
- Mission Prometheus for 14 months in the Gulf of Oman;
- Mission Capselle off the coast of Lebanon in August 1989;
- Opération Daguet during the Gulf War.
- Former Yugoslavia aboard Clemenceau and Foch between 1993 and 1996
- Afghanistan aboard Charles de Gaulle from 2001 from the Indian Ocean
- Libya aboard Charles de Gaulle during 2011.
Present day
The unit currently flies the Dassault Rafale M F3-R.Aircraft operated
- Vought F4U Corsair – April 1958 to April 1962
- Dassault Étendard IVM – June 1964 to June 1980
- Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard – September 1980 to July 2016
- Dassault Rafale – September 2016 to date