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France conducts maiden flight of new Archange spy plane, based on Falcon 8X business jet

The French Air and Space Force successfully completed the maiden flight of the new Dassault Archange electronic reconnaissance aircraft on July 25, 2025. The takeoff took place from Bordeaux Mérignac Airport in southwestern France, marking an important step in the renewal of French strategic capabilities in the field of electronic warfare and signals intelligence (SIGINT).

The aircraft is based on the Dassault Falcon 8X long-range business jet and is part of an ambitious program led by Dassault Aviation in partnership with Thales, which is responsible for advanced onboard electronic systems.

The Archange (Avion de Renseignement à CHARge utile de Nouvelle GEnération) was designed to replace the veteran Transall C-160 Gabriel, which was decommissioned in 2022 after decades of operation with the 1/54 “Dunkerque” squadron. These aircraft, adapted for SIGINT missions, no longer met modern electromagnetic data collection and analysis requirements.

The new aircraft will offer greater interception and signal processing capabilities, with systems developed under the CUGE (Universal Electronic Warfare Capability) project, integrating state-of-the-art sensors with artificial intelligence and secure real-time communication.

With a range of over 12,000 km and an operational ceiling of nearly 15,500 meters, the Falcon 8X adapted for the Archange program will be capable of conducting long-duration missions with high stealth, making it ideal for operations in electronically contested environments. The three contracted aircraft are currently expected to be delivered between 2026 and 2029, following a delay compared to the initial schedule that called for deliveries starting in 2023. The aircraft will be based at Évreux Air Base 105 and operated by the same squadron responsible for the C160 Gabriel.

During the transition period, France has been using a Saab 340 aircraft specially adapted for ISR missions, contracted from CAE Aviation, as a temporary solution to fill the gap left by the end of Gabriel operations. This aircraft has operated intelligence missions in sensitive areas such as the Black Sea and the Baltic.

Concurrent with the development of the Archange, the French government also expressed interest in acquiring two GlobalEye aircraft from Saab, an AEW&C platform equipped with Erieye ER radar and based on the Bombardier Global 6000 jet. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and the Swedish manufacturer, covering not only the aircraft but also logistical support packages, ground infrastructure, and crew training.

France currently operates four Boeing E-3F Sentry AWACS aircraft, in service since 1991. These aircraft, based on the Boeing 707 fuselage, are facing increasing obsolescence and require replacement in the medium term. With the introduction of the Archange aircraft and, possibly, the GlobalEye, France is moving toward consolidating a new generation of surveillance, intelligence, and early warning platforms, strengthening its strategic autonomy and interoperability with NATO partners.

The Archange program is also part of the French Armed Forces' broader plans to modernize command and control systems, in synergy with national programs such as SCORPION (for the Army) and FCAS (Future Combat Air System). Furthermore, the platform will be able to operate in conjunction with unmanned carriers and space systems, significantly expanding multi-domain monitoring capabilities.