French DGA to Add Collaborative Combat, ISR Mission Capability to French A400M Aircraft

The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), through the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) has awarded Airbus Defence & Space a contract to develop a new multi-mission capability called " Parallel Mission System " (PMS).

This mission system will also eventually enable the management of drones, bombs, and missiles that could be launched from the aircraft's cargo bay. The system also aims to coordinate missions with ground troops and other assets such as helicopters like the Tiger and Caracal, and fighter jets.

This is fully aligned with the principles of collaborative combat, meaning the real-time sharing of information between platforms and the coordination of their actions within a single network.

This contract aims to equip the French Air and Space Force's A400M aircraft with the ability to play role in the future collaborative combat besides serving as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform.

This parallel mission system will be based on an open IT architecture, connected to the aircraft's flight system and interfaced with new communication systems, sensors, and effectors. Thanks to this system, the French A400Ms will be ready to play a key role in the collaborative combat of the future.

In addition to the computer core and removable workstations positioned in the cargo hold, the contract notably provides for the integration and interfacing of a removable optronic sensor, enabling the French A400M to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in support of air-land operations.

The French A400M's Parallel Mission System (PMS) will be installed in the cargo bay. It will allow for the control and operation of new communication systems, sensors, and effectors, giving the French A400M a multirole capability for future operations.

These new capabilities are currently under development. They will be installed on board an initial aircraft for qualification and certification by the end of 2028. Ultimately, France plans to order six complete PMS kits (mission system and sensor) and modify twenty A400M aircraft. Each of these kits can then be installed interchangeably on any of the twenty aircraft that will have been modified to accommodate these capabilities. The contract also stipulates that the AAE's A400Ms can be retrofitted by the French Aeronautical Industry Service (SIAé) to optimize and accelerate the deployment of these new capabilities.