Atlantique 2
The French Navy’s Atlantique 2s are veritable warships of the skies, capable of searching, identifying and prosecuting all types of sea and land-based targets. Bastien Otelli reports on the ‘Frégate volante’ (‘flying frigate’) and its sailors at Lann-Bihoué.
The eyes close, the heart rate slows, concentration is at its peak… a sonobuoy has just been released and the crewman known as the ‘golden ear’ raises the alert: he has located an enemy submarine. On board, it’s action stations as two protagonists engage in a game of cat and mouse, with the aim of neutralising the enemy. While it seems like a scene from The Hunt for Red October, in this case the ‘golden ear’ – or on-board acoustician – isn’t at the bottom of the sea, but flying over the waves in an Atlantique 2 (ATL 2).