Final Maritime Patrol Aircraft Delivered With Enhanced Capabilities
France’s Navy has taken delivery of the 18th and final Dassault-Breguet Atlantique 2 (ATL2) maritime patrol aircraft upgraded to the Standard 6 configuration. The handover marks the completion of a modernization effort designed to keep the fleet operational into the next decade. The upgraded ATL2s are based at Lann-Bihoué naval air base in Brittany and feature new sensors and mission systems, including the Thales Searchmaster radar and a new Thales acoustic subsystem. The ATL2 fleet has been in French Navy service since the late 1980s, with the Standard 6 upgrade positioned as a way to keep the platform credible through the 2030s. This development was first reported by AeroTime.