Super Etendard

Super Etendard

Etendard IVM

Jaguar A

Super Etendard

Etendard IVM

Jaguar A

France

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.3	10.3	10.3

Class:

Strike aircraft

Naval aircraft

Research:260 000

Purchase:710 000

Description

The Super Etendard (SEM) is a rank VII French strike aircraft with a battle rating of 10.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Sons of Attila". It is a competitive aircraft with good air to air and air to ground capability.

The Super Étendard, a French naval fighter aircraft, boasts a storied legacy in aviation history due to its impressive capabilities and distinguished service record. Its inception in the 1970s marked the beginning of an era where this sleek and agile aircraft played a pivotal role within the French Navy and numerous other countries across the globe. Recognized for its adaptability and exceptional combat performance, the Super Étendard has remained an iconic representation of precision strike capabilities and carrier-based operations, etching an enduring legacy within the realm of military aviation.

General info

Flight performance

Arrestor gear

Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 12 000 m1 380 km/h

Turn time32 s

Max altitude13 000 m

EngineSNECMA Atar 8K-50

TypeJet

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight21 t

The Super Étendard is quite a manoeuvrable plane. It features good manoeuvring energy retention even at high speeds, it does not compress easily, and due to its new engine compared to the original Étendard IVM, it has a much higher thrust-to-weight ratio, allowing it to climb extremely well, and making it able to reach supersonic speeds, even though it does not have an afterburner. Overall a fun plane to fly, although it may feel quite unstable during certain manoeuvres.

Characteristics	Max speed (km/h at _,___ m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	___	___	13000	__._	__._	__._	__._	___
Upgraded	___	___		__._	__._	__._	__._

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
_	_	_	_	_	_

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	426	___	___	___	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< ___	< ___	< ___	-

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
_____		_	_,___ kg		___ kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)			Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		_m fuel	__m fuel	__m fuel
___ kg	___		_,___ kg	_,___ kg	_,___ kg	_,___ kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (___%/WEP)
Condition	100%	___%/WEP	_m fuel	__m fuel	__m fuel	MGW
Stationary	___ kgf	___ kgf	_.__	_.__	_.__	_.__
Optimal	___ kgf (_ km/h)	___ kgf (_ km/h)	_.__	_.__	_.__	_.__

Survivability and armour

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear426 km/h

The Super Étendard relies heavily on the pilots positioning and defensive flying capability to survive. Its high thrust to weight ratio, good manoeuvring energy retention and the fact that it doesn't compress easily makes it quite an easy plane to fly defensively, as it can take advantage of enemies weaknesses. However due to its flight model, it does not like to lose energy or rather speed, which means that making an enemy overshoot is quite harder to achieve than with a delta wing.

It also features a total of 180 countermeasures. It is easy to flare off incoming missiles due to its lack of an afterburner, and high amount of countermeasures.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 239 → 4 401

RB9 403 → 12 778

SB10 465 → 14 221

Total cost of modifications226 600

353 000

Talisman cost2 800

Crew training200 000

Experts710 000

Aces2 800

Research Aces1 080 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 310 / 600 %

232 / 232 / 232 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 290 Compressor Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 290 Airframe Research: 17 000 Cost: 27 000 640 New boosters Research: 17 000 Cost: 27 000 640 Wings repair Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 410 Engine Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 410 Cover Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 560 G-suit Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 560		aden_belt_pack Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 290 Matra SNEB Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 290 Flares/Chaff Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 290 ATLIS II Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 290 Type 25C Research: 17 000 Cost: 27 000 640 aden_new_gun Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 410 LR 100-4 Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 410 GBU-12 Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 410 Matra R550 Magic 1 Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 560 Type 21B Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 560 AS30L Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 560

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Super Etendard is armed with:

• 2 x 30 mm DEFA 553 cannons, belly-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total)

Suspended armament

Default weapon presets

180 x countermeasures 2 x Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles 72 x SNEB type 23 rockets 16 x TBA Multi-Dart 100 AB rockets 16 x TBA ECC rockets 6 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (1,500 lb total) 6 x 250 lb Mk 81 Snakeye bombs (1,500 lb total) 6 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,000 lb total) 6 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (3,000 lb total) 6 x 250 kg SAMP Type 25 bombs (1,500 kg total) 6 x 250 kg SAMP Type 25 200 bombs (1,500 kg total) 6 x 400 kg SAMP Type 21 bombs (2,400 kg total) 6 x 400 kg SAMP Type 21 200 bombs (2,400 kg total) 1 x ATLIS II targeting pod + 4 x 277 kg GBU-12 Paveway II bombs (1,108 kg total)

The Super Étendard features really good armament for engaging air targets as well as ground targets. It can take 180 countermeasures, 2 x R550 Magic 1 missiles, as well as 4 x guided bombs at the same time, making it extremely competitive in ground battles, as well as in air battles when used as a multirole aircraft.

Usage in battles

The Super Étendard feels like a true modern multirole fighter, but at a lower BR.

In ARB matches, it should be used with mixed or reinforced flares, and 2 x R550 Magic 1 missiles, along with 10 minutes of fuel (20 min if you are not aggressive, or if you play on a big map). This makes you the most efficient at keeping your own plane alive, while being able to get some quite easy kills. The Super Étendard is a reliable Boom and Zoom plane, but can hold its own quite well in Energy Fighting due to its high thrust-to-weight ratio.

In GRB matches, you should keep your distance, and listen well to your RWR. Once you find a target that is not moving fast or is stationary, you should get very high, drop a bomb while lasing your chosen target, and after dropping, you should keep the altitude.

You should always destroy all other air superiority fighters before engaging in close air support.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Lots of flares
• Easy to flare missiles due to lack of afterburner
• Forgivable airframe. It can be thrown into a lot of situations and still come out on top even against more manoeuvrable targets
• Can use countermeasures, AAMs, and AGMs at the same time.
• Modern Avionics. Full Digital RWR, and gets access to modern HUD in the cockpit, helping players hit their target WAY easier in first person.

Cons:

• Lack of afterburner, making it a trans-sonic plane at most.
• Slightly unstable airframe due to flight model, making it wobbly in certain manoeuvres.

History

The Super Étendard's history began in the late 1960s when France sought a replacement for its aging Étendard IV aircraft. Dassault Aviation designed the Super Étendard, introduced in the 1970s, as a carrier-based strike fighter. It featured a compact, agile airframe, advanced avionics, and a SNECMA Atar 8K-50 turbojet engine.

In 1982, during the Falklands War, the Super Étendard gained international recognition when it successfully hit the British destroyer HMS Sheffield with an Exocet missile, showcasing its maritime strike capabilities.

Exported to nations like Iraq and Argentina, it participated in various conflicts, serving roles from anti-ship strikes to ground attacks. The aircraft underwent upgrades over time but was eventually retired by France in 2016, making way for the Rafale M.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Dassault Aviation
WW2*
Fighters	M.B.152C1 · M.B.157
Bombers	M.B.162 · M.B.174A-3 · M.B.175T
Jet Aircraft
M.D 450	M.D.450B Barougan · M.D.450B Ouragan
Mystère	M.D.452 IIA · M.D.452 IIC · Mystere IVA
Super Mystère	Super Mystere B2
Étendard	Etendard IVM
Super Étendard	Super Etendard
Alpha Jet	Alpha Jet E**
Mirage
Mirage III	Mirage IIIC · Mirage IIIE · Milan
Mirage V	Mirage 5F
Mirage F1	Mirage F1C · Mirage F1C-200 · Mirage F1CT
Mirage 2000	Mirage 2000-5F · Mirage 2000C-S4 · Mirage 2000C-S5 · Mirage 2000D-R1 · Mirage 2000D-RMV
Mirage 4000	Mirage 4000
Export
M.D 450	M.D.450B Ouragan
Mystere	Mystere IVA
Super Mystère	Sambad · Sa'ar***
Mirage	Shahak · ▄Mirage 5BA · ␗Mirage 2000-5Ei
	*The company was named "Société des Avions Marcel Bloch" before being renamed in 1947
	**Jointly manufactured with Dornier Flugzeugwerke
	***Israeli Super Mystère refitted with new avionics and an American engine
See also	SABCA