The French Minister of the Armies is launching the ARCHANGE program which is based on three Dassault Aviation Falcon 8X platforms that will replace the Transall C-160 Gabriel aircraft.
The French Minister of the Armies, Florence Parly, has just launched the program ARCHANGE, for ‘Avions de Renseignement à CHArge utile de Nouvelle GEnération’ (intelligence airplanes with payload of new generation). ARCHANGE is based on three Dassault Aviation Falcon 8X transformed into strategic intelligence aircraft “with a universal electronic warfare capability”. The set of sensors constituting the payload will be developed by Thales. This payload, based on innovative technologies (multi-polarization antennas, artificial intelligence to improve automatic processing), will detect and analyze radar and communication signals. Led by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), ARCHANGE aims at strengthening intelligence capabilities of electromagnetic sources, including interception of radio and radar emissions, sais the Ministry of the Armies. The first ARCHANGE system is to be delivered to the French Air Force from 2025. The three Dassault Aviation Falcon 8X will replace the two Transall C-160 Gabriel aircraft. The system will be complemented by a ground training platform which is planned for deployment at the Evreux airbase.