France’s defence procurement agency, the DGA, has taken delivery of the first two Dassault Falcon 2000LXS Albatros maritime surveillance and intervention aircraft for the French Navy. The aircraft were handed over in late July and assigned to Flottille 24F at Lann-Bihoué naval air base in Brittany, while military trials begin ahead of initial operational capability.
The Albatros is the navalised version of the Falcon 2000LXS and is intended for maritime surveillance, intervention and support during natural disasters. Its arrival opens the AVSIMAR fleet-renewal programme, which will field 12 aircraft in total. The first batch covers seven aircraft ordered in December 2020, followed by five more ordered in September 2025.
The programme is replacing eight Falcon 50M aircraft and five Falcon 200 Gardian aircraft in French naval aviation. A third Albatros is due by the end of 2026, with later deliveries planned at a rate of two aircraft a year.