Defense: The French army signs a study contract with Airbus for a new French maritime patrol plane – 04/02/2025 at 5:17 pm

The study and risk lifting contract aims to prepare for the launch of the development of the device at the end of 2026, which should succeed ten years later.
(AFP / Julien De Rosa)
The Ministry of the Armed Forces signed with Airbus a study contract for a new maritime patrol plane, intended to replace the current Atlantic 2, the European aircraft manufacturer announced on Tuesday, February 4.
“The Directorate General of Armament has just signed with Airbus Defense and Space as an agent,
in co-work with Thales
a contract for a risk study study of the future maritime patrol plane program (Future Patmar), “Airbus said in a press release.
This announcement comes two years after the Ministry of the Armed Forces launched studies for this future maritime plane, a time envisaged in concert with Germany, before
Berlin finally opted for Boeing P-8a Poseidon
. Airbus and Dassault had then been asked, this last manufacturer for a version from its large Falcon 10x business aircraft.
“This new contract for the study of definition and risk of risks aims to prepare for the launch at the end of 2026 of the development and the realization of the maritime patrol plane program”, according to Airbus, which offers for this supposed program Ten years a militarized version of its monocourloir with a very long radius of action A321 XLR.
Twenty-two Atlantic 2 to replace
Called A321 MPa, this device “covers all the operational needs of the French Navy,
mainly in the fight anti-submarine and antinavire
from bass to high intensity, as well as to the collection of information, “argued Airbus.
Of the same source, “this study will make it possible to deepen the first results of the architecture study, in order to refine the economic and industrial conditions for the execution of the program, to guide
The technical choices of the systems to be integrated on the plane
and to carry out the first blower tests “.
France currently has 22 Atlantic 2 planes for the mission of maritime patrol, essential in particular to secure outings at the sea of French submarines.
Eighteen of these devices are being modernized to
extend their exploitation until the 2030s
. With an autonomy of up to 14 hours of flight, the architecture of the Atlantic 2 is however very old since they come from the Bréguet Atlantic entered service almost 60 years ago.
The A321 XLR, a device certified in July 2024, is capable of flying 11 hours over 8,500 km, outclassing the other single -offs. It has already been ordered over 500 copies since its launch.