The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
Designed in response to a 1958 NATO specification as a replacement for the Lockheed P2V Neptune, Breguet’s submission was declared the winner over several competing bids.
To produce the Atlantic, a multinational consortium, Société d’Étude et de Construction de Breguet Atlantic (SECBAT), was established.
During 1963, an initial order for 60 Atlantics was received.
Follow-on orders from export customers followed shortly thereafter.
It was first introduced to operational service during 1965.
Variants
Br.1150 Atlantic
Long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
The series’ first operators became the French and German navies who contracted for 40 and 20 Atlantics respectively through an initial batch order from Breguet in 1963.
These airframes were delivered to customers beginning in 1965 and ended in 1968.
A follow up order involved supply of the aircraft to the Netherlands and Italy shortly thereafter, these being delivered into 1974.
Beyond these European powers, Pakistan received three ex-French Navy Atlantics in the 1970s.
As an anti-ship, anti-submarine maritime warfare mount, the Atlantic series could be properly outfitted through torpedoes (up to 8 x Mk 46 / 7 x Murene series), depth charges, naval mines and conventional drop bombs as required, these held in the unpressurized internal bomb bay.
Additionally the aircraft was cleared to drop specialized mission equipment for shipwrecks.
Atlantique 2
Updated variant, also known as the Atlantique Nouvelle Génération or ATL2.
The ATL2 has been in service for twenty or so years, and has undergone several retrofits.
A renovation operation is in progress (2019–25); 18 out of the 22 ATL2 Standard 5 operated by the French Navy are upgraded to the new version called ‘Standard 6’.
The upgrade is comprehensive and should allow the aircraft to operate until 2030.
It includes the development of a new combat system called ‘Logiciel de traitement de l’information operationelle nouvelle génération’ (LOTI-NG).
The system is used to establish a tactical picture based on data gathered by the aircraft’s various sensors.
New digital operator stations have replaced the original analogic equipment.
Another major improvement is the upgrade of the acoustic treatment subsystem called ‘Sous-système de traitement acoustique numérique’ (STAN).
This system is able to operate more sonobuoys than its predecessor and scan a broader range of frequencies.
The system can also operate the most recent US sonobuoys including in the multistatic mode.
The Wescam MX-20 electro-optical (EO) turret has also been integrated.
This system had already been mounted on some ATL2s.
The ATL2 is frequently used in Africa where it serves as backup to ground forces.
