9 February 2022 - The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales and its partners the 17-year MELISSA2 contract for the development, integration and support of aircraft satellite communication (satcom) stations. The contract is a part of France’s SYRACUSE IV military satellite telecommunication programme. Thales will deliver satellite stations to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and further integrate into the Phénix MRTT1 tanker aircraft by 2025.
To meet the connectivity needs of the French Air and Space Force as high-intensity conflict returns, Thales will provide a resilient, high-data-rate satellite station capable of connecting large military aircraft in all circumstances. The satellite stations will enable broadband connections anywhere in the world and will be able to withstand jamming in aggressive electromagnetic environments.
The Thales terminal is derived from a proven satcom product that has accumulated over 30,000 flight hours on commercial airliners. The militarised version is specifically designed to maintain connectivity with command centres 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.