As Wait for Joint German/French Replacement Aircraft Grows, France Decides to 'Go it Alone'

It's looking possible that France will go solo on the development of its own maritime patrol aircraft, possibly tapping German interests to complete a domestic European alternative to American ISR and ASW aircraft.

While many countries have been comfortable with procuring aircraft like the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, the French, in their usual fashion, will likely procure their fleet from Airbus or Dassault. The Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) announced the award of contracts to Airbus Defence & Space and Dassault Aviation for the potential replacement for its current maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) fleet. Both companies will undertake 18 months of study to evaluate the suitability of the Airbus A320neo and Dassault Falcon 10X platforms as a viable replacement for the country's aging Atlantique ATL2 MPAs. The contracts are each worth €10.9 million (or $11.80 million), and could both launch either company into the would-be "Patmar' program. Patmar, a somewhat fanciful acronym for “système de PAtrouille MAritime du futuR”, would yield a strong contender for naval ISR aircraft outside Boeing's turf.

The new contracts cast some interesting shadows on previous efforts to obtain similar aircraft, like the French/German Maritime Airborne Warfare System (MAWS) effort. Its aim of developing a European, crewed aircraft for maritime patrol missions originally expected flight tests to begin by 2035. When the program began, French ATL2s and German P-3C Orions were similarly long in the tooth and primed for replacement, but a surprise retirement of the German aircraft in 2019 broke ranks. The Germans decided to acquire US Navy P-8A Poseidons in 2021, a move some worry will put the MAWS program on the back burner. Germany will receive its first P-8 in 2024, with 5 more inbound by the first quarter of 2025.

While the Germans continue to hem and haw to affirm their supposed commitment to the MAWS contract, France’s decision to evaluate its own maritime aircraft could be a proactive step to counter an eventual cancellation. The Poseidon, like so many other Boeing aircraft, will likely be just as long-lived as its predecessors, making pretensions about its role as a stopgap ring hollow, especially with a fleet of 8 aircraft. France is signaling “an intent to strike out on its own,” according to Dan Darling, a senior analyst with Forecast International.

“If Germany or another European partner should follow its lead and join in a pooled procurement down the line, so much the better from Paris’ perspective,” Darling added. “In the meantime, however, its MPA replacement effort is not standing still.”

FMI: www.airbus.com, www.dassault.com