Thales to Equip French Military Tanker Aircraft with Secure Satcom Solution

The French defense procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales and its partners the 17-year MELISSA2 contract for the development, integration and support of aircraft satcom stations under France’s SYRACUSE IV military satellite telecommunication program.

The Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated (ARINC) standard satcom station uses the military and civilian Ka bands. It is installed on the fuselage of large aircraft, such as the MRTT tanker, A400M transport and AWACS surveillance planes.

The militarized version of the Thales terminal is derived from a product that has accumulated over 30,000 flight hours on commercial airliners. It is designed to maintain connectivity with command centers in jammed environments and severely degraded flight and weather conditions. It operates with France’s SYRACUSE IV sovereign satellite system and is also compatible with any allied military or commercial satellites.

“The DGA’s decision to equip France’s military tanker aircraft with our secure satellite communication solution is a source of great pride for the Thales teams and reflects our unique know-how and European leadership in secure, resilient satellite connectivity. This ultra-high performance sovereign solution will be a key asset for the French forces engaged in high-intensity conflict missions,” Jean-Claude Schmitt, Vice President, Network and Infrastructure Systems, Thales.

Thales is set to deliver satellite stations to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces by 2025. Once integrated into the Phénix MRTT tanker aircraft, these stations will enable broadband connections anywhere in the world, and will be able to withstand jamming in aggressive electromagnetic environments.

The industrial organisation put in place by Thales for the MELISSA contract includes partners recognised by the DGA, such as the French SME Eclipse, as well as Thales’s Gennevilliers and Cholet industrial competence centres and its Brive production facility.