Airbus Defense & Space Revisiting A320 MPA, Unfazed By New Competition

SINGAPORE—Airbus Defense & Space is revisiting the design and development of a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) based on the commercial A320 single-aisle airliner, following increased interest from both France and other customers in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We have been hearing from customers that they want a larger MPA.” Airbus Defense & Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn tells Aviation Week. Airbus’ only MPA platform is the C925 MPA.

“It was always the question of how much development effort for how much volume,” he adds. “You need to have the right combination, and then it’s worth it with the current increase in demand.”

The A320 MPA concept was floated as early as 2018 but went quiet until 2023 when France awarded a contract to Dassault and Airbus to study a next-generation MPA.

This development also comes at a time when the Boeing P-8 Poseidon is nearing the end of production, leaving the market with no large, jet-powered MPA except the Embraer alternative that is still under development.

Despite establishing a beachhead in the Asian transport aircraft market, Schoellhorn remains unfazed on Embraer’s recent success in South Korea and Europe. Embraer edged out Airbus and Lockheed on a deal with South Korea for three KC-390s.

“Sometimes you mostly win and sometimes you lose,” Schoellhorn says. “The South Korean deal was not a disaster. It was for a small batch of aircraft with a relatively high ask in terms of offset and industrialization.”

Airbus’ A400M is expected to face the KC-390 in the Indian Air Force medium transport aircraft requirement, but Schoellhorn said the requirements of the program are still not yet clearly defined. He stressed that Airbus has been a supporter of the Made in India policy, proven with the local assembly of C295s by Tata Advanced Sytems.

Schoellhorn also revealed that the company is studying setting up a defense MRO center in Asia to keep aircraft maintenance close to local customers.

“Having a local MRO center will definitely change the situation for customers to have to fly to Spain for check,” he says. “We will have a much more capable local or regional MRO capability to serve our customers better.”

Indonesia’s PT Dirgantara Indonesia is currently the only aircraft parts manufacturer for the C235, but the company is not working with Airbus to ramp up its production capability and quality to be at the “level Airbus needed,” Schoellhorn adds.

“We need the right level of skills of the individuals, management skills, spare parts management,” he says. “There’s lots of things that are needed to come up with a functioning MRO organization. I’m not saying it’s not there, it’s just not maybe at the level that is needed for a supply chain that is so far from our hub.”