Dassault Aviation has secured a new order from France’s defense procurement agency for five Falcon 2000 Albatros aircraft.
Based on the Falcon 2000LXS business jet, the Albatros is optimized for low-speed missions and operations from short or difficult runways. It carries a fuselage-mounted multifunction radar with an optronic turret, observation windows, a search-and-rescue kit dispenser, and dedicated communications systems. The aircraft has a range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 kilometers/4,600 miles) and is developed with Naval Group, Safran, and Thales.
This acquisition is part of France’s Maritime Surveillance and Intervention Aircraft program, which requires 12 aircraft in total. Seven were ordered in December 2020, with the new fleet set to replace the French Navy’s aging Falcon 50 Surmar and Falcon 200 Guardian patrol planes.
Flight testing takes place at Dassault’s Istres facility in southern France, while modifications are carried out at its Mérignac site in western France, where the first Albatros completed its maiden flight earlier this year.
With over 2,500 Falcons delivered worldwide, Dassault has long experience adapting its jets for military and government use. Roughly 10 percent of Falcons in service today are configured for specialized missions, including maritime patrol, medevac, cargo transport, intelligence, training, and calibration.
