France acquires additional Albatros biz-jets for AVSIMAR requirement

The first Falcon 2000 Albatros aircraft for the French Navy's AVSIMAR requirement made its maiden flight earlier in 2025. With a total of 12 airframes now under contract, the type is due to enter service in 2026. (Dassault)

France has acquired additional Falcon 2000 Albatros business jets for its AVion de Surveillance et d'Intervention MARitime (AVSIMAR) maritime surveillance and intervention aircraft requirement, manufacturer Dassault announced on 2 October.

The contract placed with the French Defence Procurement Agency (Direction Générale de l'Armement: DGA) on 26 September covers five aircraft to add to the seven ordered in December 2020. This award completes the AVSIMAR airframe procurement phase, which is set at 12 aircraft.

Dassault did not provide a contract value nor a delivery date for the five new Albatros aircraft.

As noted by the manufacturer, the Albatros is based on the Falcon 2000LXS, which has a range of 4,000 n miles and offers strong low-speed performance for operating in and out of the world's smaller airfields.

Developed by Dassault in collaboration with Naval Group, Safran, and Thales, the AVSIMAR-variant aircraft is equipped with a multifunction radar housed beneath the fuselage, a high-performance optronic turret, observation windows, a search-and-rescue kit release solution, and dedicated communication systems. The aircraft are tested at Dassault Aviation's flight-test centre in Istres, southern France, while the company's Mérignac facility in western France is responsible for the conversion work.

The French Navy (Marine Nationale) is looking at the Albatros to help recapitalise the airborne maritime surveillance force of its aviation arm (Aéronautique Navale), which comprises the Falcon 10MER, Falcon 200 Gardian, and Falcon 50Mi/Ms. These aircraft have an average age of more than 40 years.