Little known to the general public, the maritime patrol is nevertheless one of the most essential and versatile components of the French air and naval forces. At once a submarine hunter, protector of the French fleet, policeman of the commercial and fishing fleets, and sometimes, a sky spy for the benefit of the land forces, the Atlantique 2, of the French Navy, have been involved in all French engagements since 1990, including for the deterrence mission.
Following the failure of the Franco-German MAWS programme, France launched a competition at the start of 2023 to replace its own Atlantique 2 by 2035, aircraft which will then all have exceeded 40 years of good and loyal service.
Two aircraft manufacturers have entered this competition, Airbus DS with the Patmar version of the new A321, named A321 MPA, and Dassault Aviation, with its new long-haul business jet, the Falcon 10X. As the two aircraft manufacturers must soon submit their proposals to the DGA, and the Paris arbitration draws closer, what are the comparative arguments of each aircraft, and is there an offer that would prove more attractive than the other?
In this section:
Replacing the French Navy’s Atlantique 2, from 2035
Entering service in the late 80s, the Atlantique 2 was designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation, based on experience acquired on the European Atlantic program, developed by Bréguet, which was bought by Avions Marcel Dassault in the early 70s.
The aircraft, 31,7 metres long, with a wingspan of 37,5 metres and an empty weight of 25 tonnes, did not achieve the expected success on the international scene, despite its remarkable performance, equally remarkable capabilities, particularly at the start of the 90s, and exceptional reliability.
While the modernization of 18 of the 22 Atlantique 2 is coming to an end, the aircraft having notably received the new Searchmaster radar with Aesa antenna, much superior to the initial Iguane, a new Wescam MX-20D optronic ball, and the replacement of the consoles and systems, it is however now necessary to prepare their replacement, by 2035, the cells having, by then, exceeded the canonical age of 40 years, and even 45 years for some.
Initially, France and Germany were to jointly develop this aircraft, in this case to replace the French ATL 2 and the German P-3. However, in 2021, Berlin announced the order of 5 P-8 Poseidon from the American Boeing, in response to the performance and reliability problems encountered by its Orion fleet. Following the Zeitenwende, three aircraft of the same type were ordered by Berlin.
Although it had not officially validated its withdrawal from the MAWS program, it quickly became clear to Paris that the future of the replacement of the Atlantique 2 did not lie in a Franco-German program. In February 2023, The DGA then launched a consultation to this effect, and two aircraft manufacturers were consulted.
First, Airbus DS, which then offered the A320 Neo in MPA (Maritime Patrol Aviation) version, expected to be the favorite of the late MAWS program, and Dassault Aviation, which has been offering its new Falcon 2021X for this same competition since 10. Both have now submitted their offers to the DGA, while The deadline for a decision in this matter is fast approaching.
Airbus' A321 MPA, a direct response to Boeing's P8 Poseidon
Airbus Defense and Space offered, as part of the MAWS program, a Patmar version of its A320 Neo. However, for France, the European aircraft manufacturer has changed its approach, to bet on the A321, which has enjoyed dazzling success in recent years, with almost 3000 units delivered and 7000 aircraft ordered.
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Hello, the site La Tribune announced today that Airbus would have been chosen to the detriment of Dassault for the future naval patrol aircraft. Do you have more information on this subject or is it a fake?
No, that's correct, even if it is a more than questionable decision by the Ministry of the Armed Forces, for all the reasons mentioned in the article.
Yes, it's sad, we continue with our pseudo European cooperation which leads nowhere.
Yes it is a bit frustrating Dassault has not yet published a visual of its 10X PATMAR project
Concerning electromagnetic intelligence, the three 8X ARCHANGE aircraft are planned for 2025, 2026, and 2028, while on the German PEGASUS program side, the first of the three Bombardier Global 6000 equipped by the electronics engineer Hensoldt has just left the factory.
It is noted that if for once the French and German calendars coincided, the two nations did not seek to begin the beginning of an attempt at cooperation, while it is a micro-fleet of three aircraft on each side of the Rhine. It is true that it would have been necessary to decide between Thales and Hendsoldt.
Would cooperation between the two electronics engineers have been possible…?
Indeed. As mentioned in the article, if we can't agree on such trivial matters, how can we hope to collaborate on SCAF or MGCS...
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Small clarifications, the first photo does not represent the future 10X modified into PATMAR but the future 8X ARCHANGE for intelligence gathering and electronic surveillance.
The fifth photo does not represent a 10X. The latter will be a twin-engine with a horizontal tail placed at the top of the vertical stabilizer (T-shaped tail and not cross-shaped). From the third engine that can be seen and the appearance of the cockpit glazing, it must be a 7X or an 8X
Thank you, indeed it is obvious. I admit that I did not "have it in my eye", and that I went a little quickly on the illustrations )) It is corrected!