The French Defense Procurement Agency DGA handed over the eighteenth Atlantique 2 (ATL2) maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) upgraded to standard 6 to the French Navy (Marine Nationale) on February 17, 2026. This is the final aircraft upgraded as part of the ATL2 modernization program.
This modernization was carried out by the SIAé aeronautical maintenance center under the supervision of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), based on specifications developed by Dassault Aviation and Thales. The modernisation, which focuses on the ATL2 combat system, aims to enable the aircraft to remain in operational service beyond 2030 with enhanced performance.
“The upgraded ATL2s thus improve their ability to deal with threats in all weather conditions, whether they come from submarines, latest-generation surface vessels, or land vehicles” the DGA explained in a release.
All 18 modernized ATL2 aircraft are based at Lann Bihoué naval air base in Brittany.
About ATL2 Standard 6
For the record, the contract for the upgraded (standard 6) ATL2 combat system was awarded by the DGA on October 4, 2013. The program covers 18 aircraft, with the French Navy originally fielding 22 “legacy” ATL2s. Dassault Aviation delivered a total of seven upgraded ATL2s between 2019 and 2023. In parallel, the SIAé aeronautical maintenance center upgraded 11 aircraft.
The first two aircraft upgraded by Dassault Aviation were delivered to the French Navy in October 2019. A third ATL2 was delivered in April 2020. As part of the qualification trials, a “live” AM39 Exocet air-launched anti-ship missile was test-fired by an upgraded MPA in June 2020.
ATL2 main specifications:
➡️ wingspan – 37 metres
➡️ length – 32 metres,
➡️ height – 11 metres
➡️ maximum take-off weight – 46 tonnes
➡️ maximum weight without fuel – 32.5 tonnes
➡️ maximum speed – nearly 600 km/h
➡️ Maximum ceiling – 30,000 feet
➡️ Endurance / Range – 12 hours of flight time / nearly 5,500 km
The “Standard 6” upgrade work includes:
- A new radar: The Thales Searchmaster with active antenna,
- A new acoustic subsystem by Thales: It gathers and processes signals from the latest-generation of sonobuoys for submarine detection,
- A new navigation console designed by Dassault Aviation,
- New consoles for the tactical display subsystem, developed by SIAé
The standard 6 upgrade improves the ATL2s’ capability to support the Strategic Oceanic Force (French SSBN fleet), to deal with modern threats (future nuclear or conventional submarines, naval forces at sea, etc.) and to support air-land missions.
ATL2 replacement: PATMAR FUTUR / A321 MPA
The 2024-2030 French military planning law calls for the replacement of ATL2 aircraft by 2035 with a future maritime patrol aircraft as part of the PATMAR FUTUR program. On February 4, 2025, Airbus announced a new contract with the French DGA for a risk assessment study of the future MPA programme. A formal order contract is expected by the end of 2026, depending on the outcome of this risk assessment study.
French Navy Captain Johann, Head of Naval Air Office, Navy HQ – Plans / Programs, discusses the key requirement that led to the choice of the Airbus A321 MPA solution: Long range and a large weapons bay. Interview recorded at Combined Naval Event 2024:
