French aerospace group Dassault Aviation, renowned for its fighter and business jets, has secured a prestigious order, albeit indirectly. Two of the French group’s Falcon 900LX business jets will be acquired to serve as the next generation of VIP aircraft for the UK Royal Air Force (RAF).

The contract has actually been placed by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) with British aircraft charter, leasing, maintenance (and other aviation services) company Centreline, which is based at Bristol in England. Under the contract, which is worth £80-million, Centreline will buy two Dassault Falcon 900LX to fulfil the VIP aircraft requirement. It is not clear if these will be new or used aircraft.

Initially, the Falcons will be operated by mixed civilian/RAF crews. They will then be upgraded by being fitted with missile jamming systems and military communications and subsequently be crewed solely by RAF crews.

It appears that Centreline will maintain the aircraft, at least initially. The contract also provides for the company to provide support for two years, with an option of up to three further years of support.

“The new planes will be more sustainable thanks to their smaller engines, leading to a reduction in fuel burn and emissions. They will also be able to fly further, providing the UK greater opportunity to engage with key allies and partners,” affirmed the UK MOD in its statement. “[The] Dassault 900LX was successful in this competition as the standout candidate in performance, cost value and time requirements.”

The two new executive aircraft will replace four BAe 146 small jetliners, which are each powered by four engines and have been in service for about 40 years. Two of the BAE 146s have been sold to a civilian operator while the other two have been assigned to museums for preservation.

According to Dassault, more than 500 Falcon 900LXs have been built since the aircraft was launched in 2008. The type is powered by three Honeywell TFE731-60 engines. It has a range of 8 800 km and a top speed of between Mach 0.84 and Mach 0.87 (Mach 1.00 is the speed of sound, which varies with altitude, hence the use of the Mach numbers instead of km/h numbers.) The cabin has a height of 1.88 m and a width of 2.34 m.