Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic

The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft that was designed and manufactured by the French aircraft manufacturer Breguet Aviation. Its origins date back to a 1958 NATO specification that sought a replacement for the Lockheed P2V Neptune. Breguet’s design was chosen over several competing bids, leading to the establishment of a multinational consortium called Société d’Étude et de Construction de Breguet Atlantic (SECBAT) to oversee the aircraft’s production.

The first prototype of the Atlantic made its maiden flight in Toulouse on October 21, 1961, followed by a second prototype on February 25, 1962. Two preproduction aircraft with extended fuselages were subsequently flown in February 1963 and September 1964. An initial order for 60 Atlantics was placed in 1963, with 40 units destined for France and 20 for Germany. Deliveries commenced in 1965 and continued until 1968. However, the production line had already shut down when the Netherlands and Italy placed additional orders for nine and eighteen Atlantics respectively. These aircraft from the second production batch were delivered between 1972 and 1974.

The Atlantic was designed specifically for maritime patrol roles, rather than being a modified version of an existing aircraft. Its primary mission is anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, but it is also capable of performing secondary roles such as search and rescue, mine laying and detection, and long-range maritime surveillance. The aircraft features a twin-engine, mid-wing monoplane design with a “double-bubble” fuselage. The upper lobe houses a pressurized crew compartment, while the lower lobe contains a 9-meter-long weapons bay, along with sonobuoy tubes aft of the weapons bay. The aircraft is equipped with a retractable under-fuselage radome for radar scanning and a magnetic anomaly detector housed in a tail boom. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprop engines and features an all-aluminum structure, though corrosion has been noted as a significant issue due to its maritime operational environment.

In 1978, the French government authorized the development of an updated version of the Atlantic, initially known as the Atlantic Nouvelle Génération and later as the Atlantique 2 (ATL2). While the airframe and engines of the new model remained largely unchanged, significant updates were made to its avionics and equipment. These enhancements included a new radar system, a new sonar processor, a replacement tactical computer, and a forward-looking infrared camera turret under the nose. Additionally, the Atlantique 2 was equipped with the capability to carry Exocet missiles.

Two prototype Atlantique 2s were created by converting existing Atlantics, with the first prototype making its maiden flight on May 8, 1981. Production of the Atlantique 2 was greenlit on May 24, 1984, and deliveries began in 1989. A total of 28 units were built, down from the original requirement of 42. By 2012, the Atlantique 2 had been rebranded as the ATL2, with 22 units in service with the French Navy. That same year, the French government initiated a series of upgrades to enhance the aircraft’s capabilities and extend its operational life to around 2032. These upgrades were carried out in two phases: Phase I addressed obsolescence issues, while Phase II introduced new capabilities. Additionally, a separate project was undertaken in 2012 to integrate the MU90 Impact torpedo.

During the 1990s, an even more advanced version, the Atlantique 3, was proposed. This model was intended to compete in the Royal Air Force’s Replacement Maritime Patrol Aircraft (RMPA) competition. However, the proposal was withdrawn in 1996 after it became apparent that it was unlikely to succeed. The competition ultimately selected the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4. The Atlantique 3 would have featured significant avionics upgrades, including a two-man glass cockpit and the use of uprated Allison AE2100H turboprop engines. These engines, coupled with new Dowty-built six-bladed composite propellers, promised nearly a 10% increase in power and a 15% reduction in fuel consumption. Despite initial interest, by 2005, Dassault (which had merged with Breguet in the 1970s) had ceased marketing the Atlantique 3, opting instead to promote a maritime patrol variant of the Dassault Falcon 900 corporate jet.

The Breguet Atlantic has been operated by several countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. During its service life, the aircraft has commonly performed maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare missions. A small number of Atlantics were also equipped for electronic intelligence (ELINT) operations. In French service, 18 modernized ATL2s have been equipped with advanced avionics and sensors, including the Searchmaster radar, new digital acoustic processing systems, an updated identification friend or foe system, and DCNS-developed combat mission software.