Breguet 1050 Alizé
Breguet Aviation · France · first flew 1956 · fighter
The Breguet 1050 Alizé (Trade Wind) was a French carrier-borne anti-submarine warfare aircraft powered by a single Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop, designed to hunt submarines from the decks of the French and Indian Navy carriers. It combined a large ventral radome with sonobuoy equipment and torpedoes.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turboprop, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 13.86 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Carrier-borne anti-submarine turboprop with ventral radome
- Retractable wing-tip floats replaced by search radar pod
- Three-seat crew for pilot, navigator and sensor operator
Distinctive carrier ASW aircraft with a single turboprop, retractable undercarriage, large ventral radome housing search radar and a mid-wing with straight taper; the three-seat glazed cockpit area is readily identifiable.
Specifications
- The Breguet 1050 Alizé has a length of 13.86 m (45 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.6 m (51 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 460 km/h (286 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Derived from the earlier Breguet 960 Vultur strike aircraft project, the Alizé first flew in 1956 and entered French Navy service in 1959, operating from Arromanches and later Foch and Clemenceau. India's Navy also operated it from INS Vikrant. The type gave both navies a capable ASW platform for decades before being replaced by the Atlantique 2 in French service and the Sea King in Indian service.
Variants
A single main production version was built; later updates added improved avionics and sensors but the airframe remained essentially unchanged.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the French Aéronavale from 1959 to 2000, and by the Indian Navy from the 1960s to 1992; a remarkably long service life for a carrier aircraft.
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