Breguet Atlantique
Breguet (SECBAT consortium) · France · first flew 1961 · transport aircraft
A long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft built to a NATO requirement, with a distinctive double-bubble fuselage and twin Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprops.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Double-bubble figure-eight fuselage with a crew lobe over the weapons bay |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Double-bubble figure-eight fuselage with a crew lobe over the weapons bay
- Ventral chin radar radome under the forward fuselage
- Tail-mounted MAD boom with a high straight wing and twin Tyne turboprops
The figure-eight fuselage cross-section and chin radome are unmistakable. The tail MAD boom and high straight wing with Tyne turboprops confirm it.
Specifications
- The Breguet Atlantique has a length of 31.62 m (104 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 37.42 m (123 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 648 km/h (403 mph).
- Typical crew: 12 (maritime patrol crew).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed to the 1958 NATO NBMR-2 requirement to replace the P-2 Neptune, the Atlantic first flew in 1961 and offered patrol endurance well beyond eighteen hours.
Variants
Around 87 ATL1 aircraft served France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Pakistan, while the modernised French Atlantique 2 entered service around 1989 and is expected to serve into the 2030s.
Where you'll see it
A European maritime patrol type operated across NATO navies, occasionally visiting the UK. Atlantique 2 remains in French Navy service.
Related aircraft
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