German F126 Frigates Equipped with SurfSAT-L SATCOM Solution

Thales is to provide satellite communications (SATCOM) for the German Navy’s F126 frigates with SurfSAT-L solutions.

This modernized system, previous versions of which have been in service with multiple Navies across the world, will ensure improved connectivity even under difficult operational conditions. 

The F126 frigates, designed by Damen Naval, will be the largest in the German naval fleet and will be capable of operating in all latitudes. They require protected resilient satellite communications that meet the elongation constraints between the theater of operations and the command centers of maritime operations to fulfill their missions.

A total of four SurfSAT-L and one Land Based Training System will be delivered to the German Navy. This milestone marks a further step in the deployment of the SATCOM SurfSAT-L new version. This secured naval terminal has become an essential tool in the field of satellite communications. Designed for ships from frigates to aircraft carriers, SurfSAT-L has been used by the French Navy and has already been adopted by five other countries in Europe and the Middle East. The SurfSAT-L is a robust, compact and easy-to-use solution. It has been designed in collaboration with end-users, enabling rapid deployment and mission configuration.

SurfSAT-L’s versatile, high-precision pointing system can cope with extreme situations such as adverse weather and sea conditions, combat speeds and accelerations, as well as electromagnetic warfare. Its radio-frequency power is essential for overcoming severe jamming, interference and cyber-attacks. Its scalability and easy integration make this SATCOM an agile communications tool, adapted to all operational contexts. It has been designed to share sensitive and protected data of various kinds (radar data, cartography, voice messages, optronic information, videos, etc.), as well as to exchange welfare data for the crew, including TV and Internet provision and the transmission of administrative data.

F126 will be equipped with a very high-power tri-band (Ka mil, Ka civil, X) SatCom solution enabling simultaneous transmission on these three frequencies. The system is capable to connect to Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites, both military and commercial, for optimal connectivity and extended coverage for the German Navy’s F126 frigates. Even in a multi-spot satellite architecture, the system is able to maintain optimum connectivity.

“Thales SATCOM SurfSAT solutions have proven their capabilities in operational use for over 15 years within the French Navy as well as within the naval forces of several other countries in Europe and the Middle East. We are very proud and honored to be able to count on the confidence of the German Navy to equip its F126 frigates with our new-generation satellite communication systems,” said Alexandre Bottero, Vice-President Network and Infrastructure Systems Business Line.