The French defense procurement agency has contracted Airbus Defence and Space to conduct a risk-assessment study of the A321 MPA, France’s future maritime patrol aircraft.
Building on an architecture and feasibility study conducted in 2022, Airbus will collaborate with Thales on a two-year deal to prepare for the aircraft’s development and production launch by the end of 2026.
In particular, the study will refine the program’s economic and industrial plans, inform decisions about the technical systems installed on the aircraft, and perform preliminary wind tunnel testing.
Jean-Brice Dumont, Executive VP and Head of Air Power at Airbus Defence and Space, described the A321 MPA as having “all the assets to become a true flying frigate capable of responding to the wide range of missions entrusted to the French maritime patrol.”
“Airbus offers a sovereign solution that provides the autonomy, availability and reliability required to contribute to the oceanic component of the nuclear deterrence.”
A321 MPA
The incoming A321 MPA is slated to replace the French Navy’s Dassault Atlantique 2 fleet from 2030 to 2040, when they will have been in service for over 40 years.
A militarized version of the Airbus A321XLR commercial plane that has a 4,700-nautical-mile range (4,603 miles/7,408 kilometers), the maritime patrol aircraft will be deployed on missions involving anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, along with intelligence gathering.
It will feature satellite communications systems, torpedoes, and future anti-ship missiles as weapons, as well as long-range capabilities and high maneuverability that will enable it to fly at low altitudes.
“The aircraft’s large cargo bay and the open architecture of its mission system give it a great capacity to evolve throughout its lifecycle to meet the emergence of new threats,” according to Airbus.
Thales will equip the plane with maritime patrol-specific sensors, including the latest radar with active antennae, an acoustic system using passive and active sonar buoys, electronic and electro-optical warfare systems, magnetic anomaly detection, and self-protection systems.
