France Delivers Final Upgraded Atlantique 2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft to Navy

The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) on February 17 delivered the 18th and final Atlantique 2 (ATL2) aircraft upgraded to standard 6 to the country’s Navy at Lann-Bihoué naval air base.

The upgrade was carried out by the French Aeronautical Industry Service (SIAé) under DGA management, based on specifications developed by Dassault Aviation and Thales. The program centered on overhauling the combat system to keep the aircraft operational beyond 2030.

The standard 6 configuration integrates new technologies into the tactical mission system, sensor subsystems, and display consoles, while addressing obsolescence. The aircraft is designed to operate in all weather conditions against submarines, surface ships, and land vehicles.

A key addition is the Searchmaster radar developed by Thales, using active electronically scanned array technology derived from the Dassault Rafale program.

In service since the late 1990s, the French-built ATL2 was designed for armed anti-submarine warfare. It supports the protection of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines under France’s Strategic Oceanic Force and contributes to maritime domain control from coastal waters to the open sea. The aircraft can also conduct intelligence missions and provide airborne support for land operations.

France’s 2024–2030 military programming law provides for the ATL2’s replacement by a future maritime patrol aircraft by 2035.

The ATL2 has a 37-meter wingspan, 32-meter length, and 11-meter height. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 46 tonnes, a maximum speed of nearly 600 km/h, a ceiling of 30,000 feet, an endurance of 12 hours, and a range of nearly 5,500 kilometers.