Nimrod or Breguet Atlantic

[Snoop 95]

Back in 1998 I was at a business meeting in Hamburg and it turned out that one of the other members was ex Lufwaffe. We were chatting afterwards and he claimed to have been aircrew in the reconnaisance division and flew in the Breguet Atlantic. He then went on to dismiss the RAF and the Nimrod as being totally inferior in that role. I stood up for the RAF as best I could, although I have never been anything to do with the Nimrod or the RAF except as an enthusiast.
This episode has always bugged me and I would like those who are in the know to provide reasoned argument on this question.

[Thunder]

Nimrod v Atlantique Mk1 ? Pretty sure the Nimrod wins hands down across the board, only exception I think could be endurance, although with flight refuelling capability the Niimrod would win that as well.

[Snoop 95]

That's what I wanted to hear! Thanks Thunder.

[plmc135]

I doubt you will ever get the definitive answer to your question as it appears to be a comparison between two specialist versions of the aircraft namely the Nimrod R.1 and the ELINT Atlantic. They were both effectively spy planes and their exact mission roles are no doubt locked away in a vault somewhere.

[Vulcanone]

And one often used to shutdown 2 engines on long maritime patrols.....

[Nighthawke]

Which one?

[Sparts99]

Shutdown two engines on an Atlantic and you'll get your feet wet pretty quick.

[Nighthawke]

Yeah, hence the lol emoji !

[page_verify]

I wonder whether the chap had a touch of bias about his beloved trusted own knowledge and experience so didn't let the truth get in the way of a good story?

Few specialist NATO aircraft back then had comparable roles and the UK may well have had access to intelligence sources (SOSUS etc.) not available to the Germans meaning the Nimrod was able to work in ways other nations thought looked less effective at doing the same thing. That was certainly the case for some of the RAF's other large aircraft. Nonetheless, I'm certain there will have been things the Germans could far better than the RAF, good job we were all on the same side?

[Unknown74]

No disrespect to the Atlantic but it’s Nimrod for me.

[IMarsh]

Nimrod proven in conflict - Falklands. Was the Atlantic?

[colt99]

Could his memory have been clouded over time, and he was thinking about the AEW3 Nimrods, in which case he will be right about the Atlantic being better.

[Alf]

Nimrod proven in conflict - Falklands. Was the Atlantic?

Kosovo, Serbia , Iraq, Mali for the French Atlantics….

[Thunder]

Could his memory have been clouded over time, and he was thinking about the AEW3 Nimrods, in which case he will be right about the Atlantic being better.

AEW3 and Atlantique had different roles so you can’t compare. I seem to remember that the German Atlantiques were inferior to those of France and Italy.

[colt99]

Could his memory have been clouded over time, and he was thinking about the AEW3 Nimrods, in which case he will be right about the Atlantic being better.

AEW3 and Atlantique had different roles so you can’t compare. I seem to remember that the German Atlantiques were inferior to those of France and Italy.

That's why I said is memory may be clouded, he could have been thinking type only, not individual mark of Nimrod

[Doughnut]

At least the Germans had a ASW platform when they bought the Dutch P-3 Orion and we retired the Nimrod. How effective are the German Orions now ?
Indeed what is the state of NATO ability to mount a ASW operations ? The number of US Navy deployed P-8 must have been most useful.

[Unknown74]

I do remember a meeting with a French Crew Member at IAT 1991 at Fairford when I was looking for the Aircraft Serial Number and I had written Atlantic, anyway I showed the chap my clipboard (this was before I discovered the delights of checklists) and said to him I would like the Aircraft Serial Number and the first think the guy did was alter the written down Atlantic to Atlantique and then he wrote the Aircraft Serial after he made that alteration.

[2e1var]

I'm sure the Nimrod is more capable but if it was on looks alone it would be the Atlantic for me.

[Sparts99]

I'm sure the Nimrod is more capable but if it was on looks alone it would be the Atlantic for me.

I think the Nimrod is better looking, especially the short lived MRA4.

[Philly1971]

A few years ago I was staying a a quite hotel in the Mach loop and I had the pleasure of chatting to a guy who had been a Nimrod navigator back in the 70’s/80s ( if memory serves). From what he said it sounds like it was a very capable plane in the ASW role and was well respected, both by its crew and peers. He also mentioned that every Nimrod had a sextant and charts on board, which were required in the event of other systems failing, which on one occasion happened, and if it wasn’t for the sextant they would almost certainly have missed their Island destination and run out of fuel somewhere near the South Pole! He also said his crew once held a record for the two longest missions conducted And logged on Christmas Day. Evidently a Russian nuclear sub that was being tracked had decided to head straight towards the west coast of Scotland, mush to the panic of the government and MOD, so the Nimrods were launched to track and chase it away.