Airbus to conduct risk-assessment study for France’s future maritime patrol aircraft
NewsFebruary 05, 2025
PARIS, France. Airbus Defence and Space won a contract from the French Defence Procurement Agency (Direction Générale de l'Armement) for a 24-month risk-assessment study to support the development of France’s future maritime patrol aircraft, the company announced in a statement.
The study builds on an initial architecture and feasibility assessment launched in 2022 and is aimed at refining the economic and industrial conditions of the program, guiding technical decisions for integrated systems, and conducting preliminary wind-tunnel tests, the statement reads.
The aircraft, designated the A321 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (A321 MPA), is a militarized version of the Airbus A321XLR. It is designed to replace the Atlantique 2 fleet operated by the French Navy and will support missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, and intelligence gathering, the company says.
Equipped with Thales-developed sensors, the A321 MPA will feature an active antenna radar system, acoustic systems for sonar buoy operations, electronic and electro-optical warfare capabilities, magnetic anomaly detection, and self-protection systems, Airbus states. It will also be armed with torpedoes and the future anti-ship missile (FMAN) and will include satellite communications for extended operational reach.
The aircraft is expected to enter service between 2030 and 2040, replacing the existing fleet at France’s Lann-Bihoué naval air base, the statement adds.
