Dassault Aviation has received an order from the French defense procurement agency for five Falcon 2000 Albatros aircraft.
The aircraft is based on the Falcon 2000LXS business jet and is designed for effective low-speed operations, including use on short or challenging airfields.
It features a fuselage-mounted multifunction radar with an optronic turret, along with observation windows, a search-and-rescue kit dispenser, and dedicated communications systems.
It has a range of 4,000 nautical miles (about 4,600 miles/7,400 kilometers) and is developed in partnership with Naval Group, Safran, and Thales.
The recent order is part of France’s Maritime Surveillance and Intervention Aircraft program, which calls for a total of 12 Falcon 2000 Albatros.
Seven units were already contracted in December 2020.
Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier noted that several countries have expressed interest in the aircraft, citing their potential role in supporting homeland protection, maritime security, and government operations at sea.
Trappier said that France, with the world’s second-largest exclusive economic zone, is well-positioned to utilize the systems for tasks including pollution control, anti-trafficking, border monitoring, and fisheries policing.
Falcon Fleet
The new fleet will replace the French Navy’s aging Falcon 50 Surmar and Falcon 200 Guardian patrol aircraft.
Testing is carried out at Dassault’s flight center in Istres, in southern France, while conversion work takes place at the company’s Mérignac facility in western France, where the first Albatros completed its initial flight earlier this year.
With 2,500 Falcons delivered globally, Dassault has extensive experience adapting its jets for government and military roles.
Around 10 percent of the Falcon fleet currently in service consists of specially adapted aircraft used for missions such as maritime patrol, medical evacuation, and cargo transport.
Other variants are configured for calibration, intelligence gathering, and training.
