Thales announces order for new Syracuse IV satcom stations to equip French Army Serval armoured vehicles

12 July 2024 – 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. It 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.

Developed for the French defence procurement agency (DGA), the first version of the Syracuse IV ground segment entered service at the end of 2023. It will provide the French forces with a joint communications capability relying on secure, high-data-rate satcom services with robust protection from jamming, interference, cyberattacks and other threats to guarantee end-to-end connectivity and tri-service interoperability.

Image courtesy Thales