France's Archange special mission biz-jet makes maiden flight
Seen returning from its maiden flight, the Archange SIGINT aircraft is to enter French service by the end of the 2024–2030 military programming law. (Ministère des Armées)
Franceʼs Archange (Archangel) special mission business jet has made its maiden flight, Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu announced.
Lecornu said the Dassault Falcon 8X jet fitted with Thales signals intelligence (SIGINT) mission systems took to the skies for the first time on 25 July.
The minister added that the French Air and Space Force will receive three such aircraft by the end of the current French 2024–2030 Military Program Law to be stationed at the Évreux-Fauville Air Base 105.
The three Archange airframes will take on the role of two Transall C-160 Gabriel (C-160G) SIGINT that were retired with no immediate replacement in 2022. In the interim, the French Air and Space Force has relied on the Analyseur de Signaux Tactiques (Tactical Signals Analyser: ASTAC) reconnaissance pod carried by the Dassault Mirage 2000D fighter.
For more information on France's SIGINT programme, please see Feature: Europe's spy planes come out of the shadows .
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