French Navy receives two modernized ATL2 maritime patrol aircraft.

According to information published by the French Ministry of Defence on July 25, 2022, the French Defence Procurement Agency took delivery of the 8th and 9th ATL2s, upgraded to standard 6, and delivered them to the French Navy at the Lann-Bihoué base.
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ATL2 maritime patrol aircraft (Picture source: French MoD)

This renovation concerns the ATL2 combat system. It involves integrating new technologies into the existing aircraft in terms of tactical mission systems, sensor subsystems, and display consoles, dealing with the obsolescence of certain systems, and restoring the aircraft's performance to the best levels.

The equipment installed is among the most efficient and effective in the aviation industry, such as the new Searchmaster radar, which uses active antenna technology developed by Thales for the Rafale.

The ATL2s will thus improve their ability to deal with modern threats in all weather conditions, whether in strategic deterrence missions or in engagements against silent and stealthy submarines, fast boats, and even land vehicles.

About the Bréguet 1150 Atlantic

The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic is a twin-engined, mid-winged monoplane with a "double-bubble" fuselage; the upper lobe comprising a pressurised crew compartment, and the lower lobe housing a 9 m (27 ft 6 in) long weapons bay, with sonobuoy tubes aft of the weapons bay.

A radar scanner is housed in a retractable under fuselage radome, while a magnetic anomaly detector is housed in a tail boom. It is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprop engines.

An all-aluminium structure is used throughout the Atlantic's airframe; corrosion is alleged to be a considerable problem due to environmental factors imposed by the maritime environment.