Falcon 2000

The Dassault Falcon 2000 is a twin-engine business jet built in France by Dassault Aviation as part of the Falcon family. Derived from the three-engine Falcon 900, it entered service in 1995 and carries up to 10 passengers with a crew of two. Militarised derivatives are used for maritime reconnaissance and signals intelligence, and the type also serves in government transport roles, including the French presidential fleet.

Development

The Falcon 2000 was developed by shortening the Falcon 900 fuselage by 7 ft (2.1 m), modifying the wing leading edge and deleting the inboard slats. The original model was certified in 1994 and introduced in 1995 at $17.85 million; by 2023 the Falcon 2000LXS was listed at $36 million. Successive versions changed engines, avionics and wing devices, culminating in the 2000LXS of 2014. In June 2025 Dassault Aviation and Reliance Infrastructure announced local production of the Falcon 2000LXS in India through Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL), a joint venture formed in 2017 at MIHAN, Nagpur airport, Maharashtra. DRAL had supplied 100 major components for the Falcon 2000 since delivering the first front section in 2019, and the first Indian-built aircraft is expected to fly in 2028.

Design

The Falcon 2000LXS is 20.23 m long with a 21.38 m wingspan and a maximum takeoff weight of 19,414 kg. Power comes from two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C turbofans of 31.14 kN (7,000 lbf) each; the original 2000 used CFE738-1-1B engines of 26.32 kN. Maximum speed is Mach 0.85–0.862, service ceiling 14,326 m and range 7,408 km with six passengers at Mach 0.80. Takeoff distance is 1,425 m and landing distance 689 m. Avionics progressed from the Collins Pro Line 4 suite of the original model to the Honeywell Primus Epic-based EASy system with synthetic vision. Aviation Partners blended winglets, introduced on the 2000LX, are certified across the series as a retrofit. The Albatros maritime variant adds a multifunction under-fuselage radar, an electro-optical/infrared system, observation windows, a search-and-rescue chain release system and dedicated communications equipment.

Operational History

The Japan Coast Guard ordered six Falcon 2000MSA in 2015 for delivery from 2019. The French Navy ordered seven Falcon 2000 Albatros for delivery from 2025, with five more planned for a total of twelve, replacing the Falcon 50 Surmar and Falcon 200 Gardian. The French Air and Space Force operates one Falcon 2000EX and one Falcon 2000LX in the presidential fleet. Other military and government operators include the Bulgarian Air Force 28th Air Detachment, the Slovenian Air Force and Air Defence, the Royal Thai Police with one aircraft, and the Republic of Korea Air Force with two ELINT aircraft on order. A Falcon 2000EX EASy conducted steep approach trials at London City Airport on 18 March 2010.

Variants

• Falcon 2000: Original model certified in 1994 with CFE738 turbofans, Collins Pro Line 4 avionics and 2,841 nmi range.
• Falcon 2000EX: Re-engined version certified in 2003 with PW308C turbofans and 3,878 nmi range.
• Falcon 2000S: Short-field variant tested from 2011, with fuel restricted to 14,600 lb and a 3,350 nmi range.
• Falcon 2000LXS: 2014 replacement for the 2000LX with a 194 km/h approach speed and 689 m landing distance.
• Falcon 2000MRA/MSA and Albatros: Militarised maritime surveillance derivatives of the 2000LXS for Japan and France.