Naval Aviation Facts for Kids

Naval Aviation is the air force branch of a navy. Its equipment is composed of both aircrafts and helicopters.

Missions

French Naval Aviation NH90 Caïman on rescue training.

Naval Aviations have got several different missions :

Maritime patrol, with aircrafts like Lockheed P-3 Orion or Ilyushin Il-38 May. It is for air reconnaissance over oceans and seas. This is looking for enemy warships, and in particular submarines. Weapons are generally torpedoes, missiles, mines, and light rockets.
Coastal Survey, with aircrafts like Dassault Falcon 50M or Fokker 50 MPA. It is like maritime patrol, but closer to the coast. Some of the aircrafts used are armed, but not all of them.
Search and rescue, with aircrafts and helicopters like Aérospatiale SA-321 Super Frelon or Lockheed HC-130 Hercules. It is to find and rescue the victims of accidents at sea. This is done after a shipwreck or in heavy storms.
Fighting and air combat, is the mission of naval fighters that fly from an aircraft carrier. Most famous aircrafts in 2013 are Dassault Rafale M and McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.
Fighting against submarines, is the mission of naval helicopters like Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk or Mil Mi-14. Weapons are generally torpedoes and mines.

In 2013 the following countries had a naval aviation: Argentina, Brazil, France, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.

The first naval aviation was the British Royal Naval Air Service, that was created on 13 April 1912. During World War I and after World War II, naval aviations were used for all kinds of combat missions. Famous battles were Pacific War, Normandy Landings, Dieppe Raid and Battle of Midway. After the World Wars it was used for the Falklands War, the Libyan Civil War, and the Gulf War. U.S. Naval aviation was used for the Vietnam War.

An F/A-18C Hornet launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk
Mayfly was built in 1908 and was the first aircraft to be used in a naval capacity.
Lieutenant Charles Samson's historic takeoff from Hibernia in 1912.
Japanese Maurice Farman seaplane from Wakamiya
Sqn. Cdr. E. H. Dunning makes the first landing of an aircraft on a moving ship, a Sopwith Pup on HMS Furious, 2 August 1917
The Grumman J2F Duck was an amphibious biplane used for patrol
The Douglas Dauntless SBD was used extensively during the Battle of Midway.
The ski-jump and a Sea Harrier on Royal Navy carrier HMS Invincible.
An MH-53E helicopter, performs mine countermeasure training using the MK-105 sled
A German Navy 1150 Atlantic is an example of a ASW land based aircraft