France has disclosed the delivery of the first two Dassault Falcon 2000LXS Albatros maritime surveillance and intervention aircraft to the French Navy, with the jets having arrived at Lann-Bihoué naval air station on July 27 and 31.
The French defense procurement agency DGA announced the deliveries on September 8, more than a month after they took place. Dassault Aviation followed with its own announcement on September 9.
Both aircraft are destined for Flottille 24F at Lann-Bihoué in Brittany. The French Navy’s CEPA test and evaluation center has begun military evaluations of the aircraft ahead of an initial operational capability.
A third Albatros is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026. Subsequent deliveries are planned at a rate of two aircraft per year.
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The Albatros is being acquired under France’s AVSIMAR maritime surveillance and intervention aircraft program. Twelve aircraft are currently planned, with seven ordered in December 2020 and another five in September 2025.
Falcon fleet replacement
The 12 Albatros aircraft will replace eight Falcon 50M and five Falcon 200 Gardian aircraft operated by French naval aviation. Retirement of the older aircraft began in 2025.
Despite its maritime role, the Albatros is not a replacement for the French Navy’s Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft. The two fleets perform different missions, with the Albatros primarily intended for maritime surveillance and state action at sea, including search and rescue, fisheries policing, monitoring of France’s exclusive economic zone and support following natural disasters.
Based on the Falcon 2000LXS business jet, the Albatros has a range of 7,400 km (4,000 nm) and, according to the DGA, offers a mission radius 10% to 30% greater than the maritime surveillance aircraft it replaces.
Its main sensors include a Thales SearchMaster X-band active electronically scanned array radar and a Safran EuroFLIR 410 electro-optical system. A mission system developed by Naval Group integrates the aircraft’s sensors and tactical information.
The aircraft also features SATCOM connectivity, a search-and-rescue beacon detector and systems for dropping survival rafts and smoke markers during rescue missions.
First flight took place in January 2025
The first Albatros made its maiden flight on January 24, 2025. Flight and certification testing subsequently involved the DGA’s flight test center at Istres, while conversion of Falcon 2000LXS airframes to the Albatros configuration is performed at Dassault’s Mérignac facility.
The AVSIMAR program extends beyond the initial fleet of 12 crewed aircraft. France plans a second phase involving complementary surveillance assets, particularly unmanned aircraft, with the objective of meeting the remainder of its maritime surveillance requirements.
The Albatros also continues a long history of adapting Dassault business jets for maritime missions. Previous examples include the Falcon 200 Gardian and Falcon 50M operated by France, as well as specialized Falcon aircraft used by maritime agencies in other countries.
