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The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales the Neptune contract to provide thirty dual-band X/Ka satellite communication stations for the French Army.
The stations will act as on-the-pause (OTP) tactical communication nodes for the high-throughput satellite communications services required by the information and communication systems deployed by the French Army.
The new SYRACUSE IV satcom stations will equip the Serval light multi-role armoured vehicles being developed for the Scorpion programme.
The Neptune contract is the latest development in the SYRACUSE IV ground segment programme, for which Thales is prime contractor.
The contract follows an earlier order for the deployment of satcom stations on French Navy surface vessels and submarines and for the development and production of fixed and mobile stations for land and air forces. These include Mercure on-the-move (OTM) stations for the French Army’s Griffon and Serval vehicles and airborne stations for the French Air Force’s wide-body aircraft.
The two satellites in the SYRACUSE IV defense communications system, SYRACUSE 4A and SYRACUSE 4B, were built for the French DGA by the consortium of Thales Alenia Space (a joint company between Thales 67% and Leonardo 33 %) and Airbus Defence and Space.
As the lead contractor, Thales Alenia Space was responsible for the SYRACUSE 4A satellite, launched in 2021, and the payloads for both SYRACUSE 4A and SYRACUSE 4B. Airbus Defence and Space is in charge of the SYRACUSE 4B satellite launched in 2023, and based on the all-electric Eurostar platform, and supplies key components for the two payloads.
