Japanese Order Is the First for Dassault’s Falcon 2000 MSA

by Chris Pocock and Neelam Mathews

May 7, 2015

he latest maritime surveillance version of Dassault’s business jet line is based on the Falcon 2000LXS. (Photo: Dassault Aviation)

The recent selection by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) of the Falcon 2000 is the first sale of the Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) version of this super-midsize business jet. Dassault previously sold MSA versions of the Falcon 900 to the French Navy and several coast guards, including the JCG. L-3 Platform Integration will do the conversion work on the two Falcon 2000s sold to the JCG, and Thales will provide its Amascos mission system, which already equips the JCG’s two existing Falcon 900s. 

The Falcon 2000 MSA is based on the Falcon 2000 LXS and “offers the best combination of size, payload, speed, range and acquisition/operating costs,” according to Dassault. Thanks to leading-edge slats and winglets, it offers short-field performance combined with long range (4,000 nm). The French aircraft was selected after an international competition that it is believed to have included the Boeing Challenger MSA, the Bombardier Global Express converted by IAI and the Embraer ERJ-145.

“Japan has successfully operated Falcon jets for maritime surveillance and search and rescue since 1989, and we are extremely honored that the Japan Coast Guard has renewed its confidence in our aircraft,” said Eric Trappier, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “With our broad experience in complex systems integration for maritime surveillance missions, we are especially excited to be part of the Falcon 2000 MSA team,” Mark Norris, vice president of air force, commercial and derivative programs for L-3 Platform Integration, told AIN. 

AIN has learned that the Indian Navy is currently evaluating the Falcon 2000 MSA for its nine-aircraft Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) requirement. The other candidate for the MRMR is the recently launched IAI-Elta ELI-3360, based on the Bombardier Global 5000.