Dassault Étendard II
| Industry | Aerospace, Defense |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 22, 1929 in France |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Military aircraft, Civil aircraft |
The Dassault Étendard II was a French experimental fighter aircraft created as a potential replacement for the Dassault Mystère lineup. Although submitted to the French Air Force for assessment, it was ultimately not selected, with preference given to the Dassault Mirage III instead.
Originally designated Mystère XXII, the Étendard II was engineered to fulfill a French Air Force specification calling for a lightweight, jet-powered fighter-bomber. At the same time, the NATO NBMR-1 competition aimed to find a comparable light strike-fighter, which led Dassault to produce the related Étendard VI model.
The only prototype took to the skies on 23 July 1956; however, it lacked sufficient power and could not achieve the performance levels demonstrated by the Mirage series, resulting in its rapid discontinuation.
Building on this design, the Étendard IV was later developed successfully for deployment with the French Navy.