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The Breguet 1150 Atlantique is a twin-engined; long-range maritime reconnaissance bomber and patrol aircraft. In response to the 1958' NATO contest
for a long-range maritime patrol aircraft to replace the Lockheed P2V Neptune, Bréguet submitted its own design, the Br 1150. The Br.1150 was chosen
as the winner from eighteen desings. Accordingly, a multinational consortium, Société d'Étude et de Construction de Bréguet Atlantic (SECBAT) was set up
to develop and build this aircraft, which was named the 1150 Atlantic. The Breguet 1150 long-range maritime reconnaissance bomber was manufactured by a
consortium of French, German, Belgian and Dutch companies with the parent company Société des Ateliers d'Aviation Louis Bréguet also known as Bréguet
Aviation acting as team leader and responsible for the final assembly of the aircraft. The 1150 Atlantic carries twelve crew members on the pressurised
deck of the fuselage with seven accomodated in central operations compartments. The 1150 Atlantic is powered by two Rolls-Royce Tyne R.Ty.20 Mk.21
turboprops of 6,105 shp each. The aircraft is equipped with the retractable French CSF search radar in the forward fuselage, and U.S. anti-submarines
American systems essentially similar to those of the Neptunes. The Atlantic can undertake survey, rescue, personnel transport, mine-laying and fleet
escort in addition to its primary function of anti-submarine warfare. The Atlantic has a 30-ft. weapons bay in the unpressurized lower lobe of the
fuselage which accommodates all the normal range of bombs, mines, depth charges and homing torpedoes, including electric accoustic torpedoes of the
L.K.4 or Mk.43 type used by NATO. A pair of underwing pylons carry HVAR or guided air-to-surface missiles. In 1961, the first firm contract was placed
by the French government for twentyseven machines. Br.1150-01, the first of four prototypes, flew on 21 October 1961; followed by Br.1150-02 on 23
February 1962; Br.1150-03 on 25 February 1963 and Br.1150-04 on 10 September 1964. The first production aircraft (Breguet 1150 No.1) flew on 19 July
1965, with production deliveries commencing in December 1965. An updated version, the Atlantique 2 or ATL2, was produced by Dassault Aviation for
the French Navy in the 1980s. Next to the French Navy, the Atlantic was operated by the German Navy, the Italian Air Force, the Pakistan Navy, and
the Royal Netherlands Navy. A total of 87 Atlantic and 28 Atlantique 2 aircraft were built when production ended in 1987.
The ICAO Aircraft Type
Designator for the Breguet Br.1150 is ATLA.
The Royal Dutch Navy / MLD operated nine Breguet 1150 Atlantic (SP-13A) aircraft in the period 1969-1984.
The aircraft were operated by 321 squadron of the Royal Dutch Navy / Marine Luchtvaart Dienst (MLD) at Valkenburg Naval Air Base. |
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On 30 July 1969, the Breguet 1150 Atlantic s/n 58 entered service with the Royal Dutch Navy / Marine Luchtvaart Dienst (MLD)
as '253'. Breguet 1150 Atlantic (SP-13A) 253 served with the 321 squadrons of the MLD at Valkenburg Naval Air Base. On 14 September 1978,
the 253 'V' was lost due to an exploded engine during exercise ‘Northern wedding’ east of Scotland. A controlled crash landing was made without any fatalities.
On 29 August 1978, Breguet 1150 Atlantic (SP-13A) 253 'V' of the MLD was seen at Groningen Airport Eelde in the Netherlands. |
