The Crusader in French carrier service

France initially considered the F-4 Phantom II, but it could not operate from the smaller carriers Clemenceau and Foch. The F-8 was a better fit for their flight decks and became a particularly valued French naval aircraft. Twelve examples are described as preserved from a force that was seldom larger than about forty-eight. The type had an unexpected encounter with Yemeni MiG-21s, deployed to the Persian Gulf, deterred Muammar Gaddafi, and operated during the Balkan conflicts through 1999, although it did not participate in Desert Storm. Without the Crusader, France's carriers would have lacked a fighter after the Vought Corsair retired. In a NATO task group, the F-8 could protect the formation locally while longer-range interceptors such as Tomcats operated elsewhere. French modifications increased the variable-incidence wing's movement and further improved the carrier-handling qualities that kept the aircraft useful.