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https://www.janes.com/article/92145/fir ... rench-navyThe first two "renovated" Atlantic 2 maritime patrol aircraft were delivered
October 24, 2019
Six years after its launch in October 2013,
the modernization of Atlantic 2 maritime patrol aircraft [ATL2] has reached a decisive stage
with the transfer of two of these "renovated" aircraft to the Lann-Bihoué Naval Air Base [ Morbihan].
The announcement was made by the Ministry of the Armed Forces on 24 October 2019.
Dedicated to anti-submarine warfare,
Atlantic 2 is also able to carry out intelligence missions,
coordination of other aircraft [SCAR-C for Strike coordination and reconnaissance-coordinator]
and assessment of strikes. [Battle Damage Assessment].
It is also able to destroy land targets with GBU-12 laser guided bombs.
Hence its intensive use in the Sahel [Barkhane] and the Levant [Chammal].
The ATL2 modernization, carried out by Dassault Aviation and the Aeronautical Industry Service [SIAé],
consists of upgrading them to standard 6.
In concrete terms, it is a question of dealing with obsolescence, of abandoning analogue to the benefit of digital technology.
integrating new equipment [tactical calculator, optronic and acoustic intelligence systems,
operator visualization consoles, etc ...].
In addition, the renovated ATL2 will have the Searchmaster, an active antenna radar which, developed by Thales,
will give them an increased capacity especially for anti-submarine and antisurface [a periscope should not escape them ...].
They will also be equipped with the IFF TSA2542 interrogator,
a state-of-the-art digital acoustic processing subsystem [STAN]
and the new version of the LOTI [Operational Information Processing Software], designed by Naval Group.
According to the explanations of the Ministry of the Armed Forces,
the Directorate General of Armaments [DGA] has given the green light to the sending of these two devices to Lann-Bihoué last summer.
This "marks the end of the renovation program development trials" of the ATL2.
"The prototype and the first of the series, respectively arrived at Lann-Bihoué on July 18 and August 27 in their final software version,
have been thoroughly tested by an integrated team associating the DGA Center of Expertise and Testing Flight Tests,
the center of practical experiments and reception of naval aeronautics [CEPA / 10S] of the Navy and Dassault Aviation ",
the same source continues.
The Navy has already begun the operational experimentation of these two aircraft in Istres.
It is a question of pursuing it at Lann-Bihoué,
the challenge being to develop the most relevant employment tactics in order to make the most of the new capabilities offered by the ATL2 Standard 6.
The entry into service of these "renovated" aircraft is scheduled for the end of the year 2021,
after the training of the crews, the transformation of a first batch of aircraft,
and the delivery of the simulator on land for the next-generation tactical training [SIMTAC NG].
Initially, it was planned to modernize 15 of the 22 Atlantic 2 currently implemented by the Navy.
But with the resurgence of underwater activity around French maritime approaches [in particular Russian],
it was decided to revise the target on the rise, with 3 additional aircraft.
The 18 refurbished aircraft will be delivered to Flotillas 21F and 23F by 2024.
As for the four aircraft that will remain at Standard 5,
they should be retired on service by 2025.
The ATL2 will remain operational by 2030,
ie when the MAWS program [Maritime Airborne Warfare Systems],
which will be conducted in the framework of a Franco-German cooperation
[that is, at least, what is planned ], will have succeeded.
The French procurement agency Direction générale de l'armement (DGA)
has authorised the transfer of the first two upgraded Dassault Atlantique 2 (ATL2) maritime patrol aircraft (MPA)
to the French Navy, the French ministry for armed forces announced on 24 October.
Eighteen out of the 22 ATL2 MPAs operated by the French Navy will be upgraded to the new version called 'Standard 6'.
The upgrade is comprehensive and should allow the aircraft to operate until 2030.
The upgrade programme includes the development of a new combat system
called 'Logiciel de traitement de l'information operationelle nouvelle génération' (LOTI-NG).
The system is used to establish a tactical picture based on data gathered by the aircrafts' various sensors.
New digital operator stations have replaced the original analogic equipment.
Another major improvement is the upgrade of the acoustic treatment subsystem
called 'Sous-système de traitement acoustique numérique' (STAN).
This system is able to operate more sonobuoys than its predecessor and scan a broader range of frequencies.
The system can also operate the most recent US sonobuoys including in the multistatic mode.
The Wescam MX-20 electro-optical (EO) turret has also been integrated (the same one used on board the Boeing P-8A Poseidon).
This system had already been mounted on some ATL2s, but it wasn't integrated into the combat system.
With the Standard 6 upgrade,
various operators are able to simultaneously access the images provided by the MX-20.
The last major element of the Standard 6 upgrade
is the integration of the Thales Searchmaster Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
According to Thales, this multirole surveillance radar offers the highest level of operational performance.
The French Navy will also receive a new mission preparation tool and simulator.
