Thales Wins French MoD’s Air Surveillance Systems Support Contract

The French defence ministry’s aeronautical maintenance directorate (DMAé) on Thursday awarded Thales a ten-year contract under the VASSCO programme to provide through-life support for the principal components of the national air command and control system (SCCOA).

Thales said its main responsibilities include: performance-based logistics support sustainment for the SCCOA system to meet the requirements of the French armed forces; management and coordination of some 15 companies and organisations involved in logistics support for the SCOAA system, including CS Group and the French defence ministry’s military aircraft maintenance service (SIAé); and provision of a 360° picture of critical systems status and through-life support planning to meet the operational needs of the French forces.

SCCOA comprises more than 700 complex systems such as air defence radars, control centres, ground-air communications and information systems installed at 125 sites across mainland France and the overseas territories to detect and defeat air threats. The air command and control system plays a key role in airspace protection, enabling the French forces to conduct their missions effectively in France and in overseas theatres of operations.

The VASSCO programme is designed to meet current and future technological challenges and guarantee higher operational availability of the system. It provides the French defence ministry’s aeronautical maintenance directorate (DMAé) with unified logistics management, optimized logistics support and data-driven logistics support.