- Yes
- No
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today, I am presenting the first major upgrade of the Breguet Alizé: the Br.1050 Alizé ALM.
By the mid-1970s, the French Navy’s Alizés had already been in service for more than fifteen years. Despite their age, the aircraft remained highly valued and continued to play an essential role in maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare. With no immediate replacement available, the Naval Staff decided to modernize the fleet in order to keep the Alizés operational well into the following decades.
The modernization program focused primarily on the aircraft’s detection and mission systems. Several new pieces of equipment were considered before a final configuration was established. While the Alizé’s existing armament capability was largely retained, its detection systems were extensively upgraded, with obsolete equipment being replaced or modernized to improve its effectiveness against increasingly sophisticated threats.
The first aircraft entered the modernization program in 1978, and the final upgraded aircraft were completed in 1983. In total, 28 of the 75 Alizés operated by the French Navy received the ALM upgrade.
Once modified, the Alizé ALMs were returned to operational units and resumed their duties aboard French aircraft carriers. They continued to serve in the fleet for many years and took part in several French military operations, including missions conducted off Lebanon in 1989.
Even after the arrival of newer aircraft, the Alizé ALMs remained in service throughout the 1990s, increasingly being assigned to less demanding missions. Their primary anti-ship role was gradually taken over by more modern aircraft, notably the Super Étendard Modernisé.
The Alizé’s long career eventually entered its final chapter in 1996, when a small number of aircraft received one last modernization, creating the ALH variant. These aircraft represented the ultimate evolution of the Alizé and remained in service until 2000, when the last examples were finally retired after more than four decades of service.
Characteristics
Length : 13.80 m
Width : 15.60 m
Height : 5.00 m
Mass :
- Empty : 5,700 kg
- Max : 8,200 kg
The aircraft is powered by a 1,950 hp Rolls-Royce turboprop engine, enabling it to reach a top speed of 470 km/h and a service ceiling of 6,248 m. It has a range of 2,500 km (with the radar retracted), equating to 7 hours and 40 minutes of flight time at a cruising speed of 232 km/h.
The crew consists of a pilot, a co-pilot, and a radar operator seated in the rear.
Equipment
Equipment is the area where this aircraft particularly differs from the original version; all internal systems have been overhauled, and new ones installed.
Radar:
The radar has been upgraded from the DRAA-2A to the DRAA-10A Iguane; this new radar has a range of 200 nautical miles, allowing for the surveillance of a much larger area. Submarine periscopes can be detected at a range of 20 nautical miles, depending on sea conditions.
RWR:
The ARAR 12 RWR is installed on the aircraft, featuring six sensors distributed around the airframe to provide 360-degree radar emission detection; this enhances both its ship-detection capabilities and its defensive capabilities.
Sonar Buoy:
In addition to the new detection radar, the Alizé is equipped with a system for deploying and processing data from sonar buoys, enabling the detection of submerged submarines.
Weapons
The aircraft’s armament is quite capable, though it remains focused on anti-ship and anti-submarine roles. It carries the following weaponry:
Bombs:
- 3 x Mk 54 depth charges (internal bay)
- 2 x Mk 54 depth charges (under-wing)
- Various standard bombs
Rockets:
- 6 x 127mm rockets
- 6 x 68mm rocket pods
Torpedoes:
- 1 x Mk 43 torped
- 1 x Mk 44 torpedo
Missiles:
- 2 x AS-12 wire-guided missiles
Additionally, a 500-liter fuel tank can be carried in the internal bay (similar to the British Buccaneer).
In-game, this aircraft would be an interesting addition to the French tree, offering a version of the Alizé equipped with sufficient gear to detect targets more effectively but lacking its full self-defense suite—thereby introducing an intermediate variant of the aircraft to the French lineup.
