Welcome aboard mate!

Considering the age of the Alizes, the low hours of some of the S-3s available, & (apparently) the low price, it seems a good time to revive that thought.

Yes, but french naval aviation priority is to buy expensive Rafales and NH-90 and to try to replace the old Nord 262E and Alouette III. Sadly, I don’t think the FNA has any funds to buy the low price S-3 and keep them airworthy … 🙁

… and the ARH can be fitted with 4 Stinger-RMP

I go for the ARH: more agile than a Mi-35 for the same max. speed. And armour of an Mi-35 will never resist to a 30mm shells salvo.

Very interesting article

The gabonese air force operates also one MR bandeirante but i don’t know if it is airworthy.

Other foreign guests were belgian F-16s and Alphajets, dutch F-16s, spanish Mirage F-1 and british Jaguars. 😎

i thought the carriers could do radar approaches in fog as they had radar and radar control?

Aircraft carriers as a lot of military airfields have ground control approach radars to guide aircrafts in the runway axis in bad weather conditions but pilots must have the runway in sight at a minimal altitude (depends of the aircraft) otherwise they have to wave off.

is this common practise or was the pilot checking out the local babes on the beach?

Yes. This is a common practice for french aircrews to check out bikini babes on the beach (but i think we’re not alone in the world to do this). 😉 😀