After many years of special mission A320 proposals, a contract has been signed between Airbus and the French Defense Procurement Agency to assess an A321 based MPA to replace the Atlantique 2.

Airbus Defense and Space has begun a risk-assessment study for France’s future maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), to be based on an Airbus A321 airliner platform. Billed as a “flying frigate” by the ...

Airbus states the A321MPA will be designed to be equipped with a full range of sensors for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare, while the payload bay will be able to carry torpedoes and ...