This morning, a Dassault Falcon 2000MRA aircraft, registered as F-WATM, was observed performing a test flight over the southern coast of France, particularly between Montpellier and Marseille. Operating under the callsign FZJTB, the aircraft executed a series of racetrack patterns over the Gulf of Lion, indicative of system calibration or sensor testing maneuvers.
The Falcon 2000MRA is a maritime reconnaissance variant of the Falcon 2000 business jet, developed by Dassault Aviation to meet the operational needs of naval and coastguard forces. This aircraft is designed for a variety of missions, including maritime surveillance, search and rescue (SAR), intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), electronic warfare (EW), and environmental monitoring.
Equipped with advanced systems, the Falcon 2000MRA features a multifunction under-fuselage radar, a high-performance electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) system, observation windows, a Search & Rescue chain release system, and dedicated communications systems. Its propulsion is provided by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C turbofan engines, allowing a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.86 and a range of approximately 7,410 km.
The recent test flight is part of the ongoing development and validation process for the Falcon 2000MRA platform, ensuring its readiness for future operational deployments.
Leave a comment