During the 1956 Egyptian campaign, two MiG-15s managed to slightly damage the French aircraft carrier Arromanches (R95), despite being intercepted by F4U-7s, which were unable to repel them.
In the aftermath of the crisis, the "Royale" decided to acquire a swept-wing fighter designed to carry out daytime fighter and interception missions.
After evaluating different types of aircraft (F9F Panther/Cougar, FJ-3 Fury, Sea Hawk, A-4, etc.) and requesting proposals from various French manufacturers, the F9F Cougar was chosen.
This solution was considered to be the best and most economical way of carrying out fighter missions before the arrival of the Dassault Étendards.
An order for 24 second-hand F9F-8s and 4 F9F-8Ts was placed in 1957. An option was taken for a further 6 F9F-8s and 4 F9F-8Ts which was used in 1960.
A few right-wing F9F Panthers were offered by the US Navy to help with pilots training and carrier testing, and were used until 1959.
The order was honoured in 1958 and the aircraft entered service with Flottille 14F. They were given a blue livery similar to that of the Corsairs.
In 1958, the Arromanches was rebuilt to use the Alizés and Cougars (deck with a 4° angle, more powerful catapult...)
Until 1968, the Cougars have been used mainly from Arromanches (R95), but also on the Foch and the Clémenceau, although less often. From 1968 to 1970 they were flown from Foch and Clémenceau.
With the arrival of the Etendards IVM used for ground attack, they will provide more fighter missions, and from 1964 were used to complement the F-8E(FN) Crusaders.
As the only jet fighter on the Arromanches, they will continue to carry out both attack and fighter missions alongside it.
Between 1959 and 1962, they were sometimes used for ground attack missions in Algeria.
In 1965 they received a new grey/white livery similar to that of the "Crouzes".
In 1970, the 16 surviving F9F-8s and 6 F9F-8Ts were relegated to training and in 1974 were definitively withdrawn from service.
Throughout the Cougar's career in French colours, only 5 F9F-8s and 1 F9F-8T were lost in accidents, only one of which was fatal.
In 1975, a project was considered to convert 10 Cougars into two-seaters for training F-8 pilots, with a similar cockpit, but the project was finally abandoned after the modification of a prototype, unofficially named TF-9E(FN).
