Bréguet 1150 Atlantic
The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft designed and manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Breguet Aviation.
| Br.1150 Atlantic Atlantique 2 | |
|---|---|
| Breguet Atlantic of the French Navy | |
| Role | Maritime patrol aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Breguet Aviation |
| First flight | 21 October 1961 |
| Introduction | 1965 |
| Status | Active service |
| Primary users | French Navy German Navy Italian Air Force Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Produced | 1961–1987 |
| Number built | 87 Atlantique 1 28 Atlantique 2 |
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 – 40 for France and 20 for Germany – was received. Follow-on orders from export customers followed shortly thereafter. It was first introduced to operational service during 1965.
The Atlantic has been operated by a number of countries, commonly performing maritime roles such as reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare. The Atlantic is also capable of carrying air-to-ground munitions to perform ground-attack missions; a small number of aircraft were also equipped to perform ELINT operations. An updated version, the Atlantique 2 or ATL2, was produced by Dassault Aviation for the French Navy in the 1980s. A further improved model, the Atlantique 3, was proposed during the 1990s but ultimately unbuilt. Other operators of the Atlantic have included the German Navy, the Italian Air Force, the Pakistan Navy, and the Royal Netherlands Navy.