The Japan Coast Guard has acquired another Falcon 2000 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) to reinforce its maritime patrol capability. The Coast Guard had previously ordered four MSA aircraft, which are based on the 4,000nm Falcon 2000LXS. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2019.

The Falcon 2000 MSA is designed for a broad range of missions, including maritime surveillance, piracy control, drug interdiction, fisheries patrol, law enforcement, search and rescue, intelligence and reconnaissance.

The Japanese acquisition follows a decision by French defence procurement agency DGA to purchase three long-range Falcon electronic intelligence aircraft for France’s new Universal Electronic Warfare Capability programme. The French ELINT aircraft, which will replace the two existing Transall C160 Gabriel aircraft, will be delivered starting in 2025.

They will carry a new Thales sensor derived from experience with the integrated electronic warfare suite flown on the Rafale fighter which will be capable of intercepting a wide range of radio and radar signals simultaneously.

Dassault is also involved in a signals intelligence programme with the Republic of South Korea, based on a pair of Falcon 2000 twinjets. These aircraft are set to enter operational service soon.

A third recent deal involves German Aerospace Research and Space Centre DLR, which purchased a Dassault Falcon 2000LX for use as an inflight Systems and Technology Airborne Research (iSTAR) vehicle.

To be used initially in a conventional flight test capacity, the aircraft will later be upgraded to full iSTAR status capable of simulating new aircraft designs, real or virtual, piloted or unmanned, in real-life operating conditions.

Around 6% of the worldwide Falcon fleet currently operates in multi-mission and government applications.