Before the senators of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense, Admiral Pierre Vandier, Chief of Staff of the French Navy [CEMM] had indicated that work was in progress to ensure in-service maintenance [MCO] Engines that power the Atlantique 2 maritime reconnaissance aircraft [ATL2] with a view to “let them last until 2030/2035 until they are replaced”.
In fact, according to the original plans, it was planned to replace the ATL2, brought to Standard 6, with a new device developed under the Franco-German MAWS program [Maritime Airborne Warfare Systems]. However, it has been compromised since Berlin decided to acquire five P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from American Boeing…
In addition, and as Admiral Vandier also confided to the senators, offers were made to the General Directorate of Armaments [DGA] by the manufacturers to ensure the replacement of the ATL 2 in due course. When it actually comes remains to be seen…
The Federal Ministry of Defense announced on September 22 that the Aviation Maintenance Department [DMAé] had just awarded Safran Aircraft Engines the “IROISE” contract for the MRO of Tyne engines [produits par Rolls Royce, ndlr] ATL2s. And that for a period of eighteen years. Which brings us to 2040… and not the 2030/35 horizon.
“This market makes availability a priority to meet the needs of the French Navy. It is thus fully in line with the MCO Aviation Transformation Plan led by the DMAé,” stresses the Ministry of the Armed Forces, without specifying the value of the IROISE treaty. And to emphasize: it “will allow to maintain the availability targets for this engine at a very high level until the ATL2 is withdrawn from service”.
While the current LPM is set at 18, the number of Atlantique 2 Standard 6 is planned to be implemented by Naval Aviation in 2025 [le 10e a été livré le 12 décembre dernier, ndlr]the press release from the Ministry of the Armed Forces indicates that “22 aircraft are carrying out missions from mainland France and over various theaters of operation”.
Photo: French Navy