Third Upgraded ATL2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft transfer for the French Navy.

The third Atlantique 2 (ATL2) maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) upgraded by Dassault Aviation, Thales and Naval Group was delivered by DGA to the French Navy (Marine Nationale) at the Lann-Bihoué naval airbase.

Third Upgraded ATL2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (Picture source: Marine Nationale)

The ATL2 is a maritime patrol aircraft with a very large radius of action, primarily for the control of the air-sea environment through anti-submarine warfare and against surface ships, from the littoral zone to the open sea.

The ATL2 fleet modernization contract was awarded in late 2013 by the DGA, contracting authority to the manufacturers Dassault Aviation and Thales. It provides these aircraft with the equipment required to carry out their operational missions until they are withdrawn from service, scheduled for after 2030.

Eighteen out of the 22 ATL2 MPAs operated by the French Navy will be upgraded to the new version called 'Standard 6'. The first two ATL2 aircraft upgraded to “standard 6” were delivered in October last year.

The “Standard 6” upgrade work includes:

A new acoustic subsystem by Thales: It gathers and processes signals from the latest-generation of sonobuoys for submarine detection,
New consoles for the tactical display subsystem, developed by SIAé,
A new radar: The Thales Search Master with active antenna,
A new navigation console designed by Dassault Aviation.

Third Upgraded ATL2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (Picture source: Marine Nationale)