DGA launches two studies for future MPA
On 22 December 2022, the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) gave a boost to the Maritime Airborne Warfare System (MAWS) programme by notifying the aircraft manufacturers Airbus Defence & Space and Dassault Aviation to start a study of a future maritime patrol system (PatMar, Patrouille Maritime) based on on one of their aircraft: the Airbus A320neo respectively the Falcon 10X.
The allocated budget for the studies is captured at 10,9 million euro per study for each manufacturer. The work, scheduled to last eighteen months, will contribute to discussions on the future MPA (PatMar) of which the launch is planned for 2026 with a view to a new capability in the 2030-2040 decade. Each aircraft manufacturer will have to offer an economically attractive solution that meets the operational needs of the Marine Nationale (French Navy) in the post-2030 horizon. These solutions should remain open to cooperation with other potentially interested European partners.
The MAWS programme dates back to 2017 when it was launched by France and Germany, aimed to replace the French Navy ATL2 (Atlantique 2) and the German Navy P-3C Orions with new aircraft. However, in June 2021, Germany decided to acquire the Boeing P-8A Poseidon to replace the Orion. The programme to upgrade the Orions was abandoned in the winter of 2020, forcing the German MoD to decide on a replacement as the P-3Cs must be withdrawn from use by 2025 and a new French-German capability would not be available yet.
The French Ministry of Defence (MoD) decided to continue the programme in a "France only" solution to replace the Atlantique 2. By 2024, 18 out of 22 ATL2s will be renovated (Standard 6) under the current Loi de Programmation Militaire (LPM). This LPM runs for a period of seven years, from 2019 to 2025, and is dedicated to the renovation and modernisation of the infrastructures and equipment of the armed forces. The eighteen refurbished Standard 6 ATL2s will retire between 2031 and 2035.
Images by Airbus Defence & Space and Dassault Aviation