Atlantique 2, Marine Nationale
The Bréguet – Dassault Aviation Atlantique 2 (or ATL 2) is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft, endowed with endurance and an astonishing maneuverability, when it comes to flying low over the water in pursuit of a submarine. This aircraft is the direct heir to the Breguet Atlantic. It takes its general lines from the latter, with a characteristic two-lobed fuselage which accommodates a large pressurized cabin above a long armament bay.
The Atlantique 2 also inherits from its predecessor a reliable and economical engine which gives it a maximum endurance of 14 hours of flight.
If the engines have changed little compared to the ATL1, the situation is quite different for the weapon system, the means of navigation, detection and data processing which have been considerably modernised to face new threats. .
The Atlantique 2 carries:
- A magnetic anomaly detector, capable of locating the metallic mass of a submarine when diving at shallow depth.
- An Iguana radar, capable of detecting very small surface targets over 360 °, even in rough seas.
- An ARAR 13 radar emission detection system, capable of intercepting and identifying very short emissions at great distances.
- An infrared detector (FLIR) allowing day and night identification of surface targets at great distances.
Seven work consoles allow specialists, under the supervision of a tactical coordinator, to simultaneously manage all of the aircraft’s systems. To this high-tech equipment, we can add the irreplaceable work done by the observers on the sides and in the glass nose, to scan the sea with the naked eye or with binoculars. A full crew consists of a total of twelve specialists under the command of an aircraft commander, an experienced pilot whose responsibility is to manage the mission as a whole.
Missions
- Maritime patrol
- Safety and conditioning of SSBNs
- Security of naval air forces
- Mastery of air and sea combat
- Maritime safety and security of maritime approaches
- Support for land and air land operations
- Electronic warfare and intelligence missions
Characteristics
- Length: 31.70 meters
- Wingspan: 37.50 meters
- Height: 11.10 meters
- Empty weight: 25.5 tons
- Max speed: 350 knots or 648 km / h
- Altitude: up to 30,000 feet
- Range of action: 14h or 4,300 Nauticals
- Crew: 2 pilots, 2 mechanics and 9 system operators
Equipment
- 2 Rolls Royce Tyne Mk21 turboprop engines
- 2 AM39 missiles or 4 laser-guided 250 kg bombs, 4 MU90 torpedoes
- 6 SAR chains (lifeboats in jettisonable container)
- Acoustic buoys
Operator: Marine Nationale
