The F6-F was widely used by the French Air Force and Navy after the WWII. The French Navy bought 124 F6F-5s and 15 F6F-5Ns between 1950 and 1953 .
French Navy Hellcats were first used by the far east carrier group including the CV Arromanches, CVL Lafayette and CVL Bois-Belleau during the Indochina conflict in 1952. This Hellcat of the French Aeronavale (French Navy) flotille 1F belonged to the carrier Arromanches. The 1F's Hellcats were moved to land base in Haipong in Nov 1952 after the Arromanches returned to France .