Dassault Aviation may only have launched its ultra-long-range Falcon 10X business jet in May, but the airframer is already considering its future conversion into a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) for the French navy.That proposal had seemed unlikely when the twinjet was unveiled, as France's future MPA requirement was due to be met by a joint development with Germany.Paris and Berlin in 2018 had agreed to conduct feasibility studies under a project called the Maritime Airborne Warfare System (MAWS) for the eventual replacement of their respective Dassault Atlantique 2 and Lockheed P-3C Orion fleets.But Germany on 30 June unveiled a $1.7 billion order for five Boeing P-8A Poseidon MPA. Although the country's defence ministry said the twinjets will only be operated until 2035 before the navy switches to the MAWS platform, details of the Foreign Military Sales approval from the USA indicate a 30-year lifespan. France is now considering pulling out of the planned joint project, La Tribune reports.
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