Airbus Defence
and Space to
connect French
Navy vessels to
the Comcept
satellite
communication
system
The French
Defence
Procurement
Agency (DGA) has
awarded Airbus
Defence and
Space and Actia
Telecom a
contract to
equip 17 French
Navy vessels
with the
capability to
connect up to
the Comcept
broadband
communication
system.
Comcept is an
‘all IP’
(Internet
Protocol)
technology
broadband
satellite
communication
network whose
initial
operational
capability was
brought into
service in the
French Armed
Forces in 2015.
This system aims
to respond to
the increase in
data exchanges
between military
equipment and
information
systems, adding
on to the
Syracuse
satellite system
via new
satellite
transmission
capacities in
the Ka band,
especially those
of the
Franco-Italian
military
satellite
Athena-Fidus, or
via capacities
in the Ku and C
bands.
The first
seventeen
vessels are
going to be
equipped with
new navalised
satcom
terminals. The
contract also
plans to install
teleports both
in mainland
France and in
the territories
overseas to
ensure
connection to
the Ministry of
Defence’s
terrestrial
networks. The
installation of
Comcept on board
vessels will
allow all
satellite
broadband needs
to be catered
for within a
global, unified
system shared
first by the
Army and the Air
Force, and now
by the Navy.
The French Armed
Forces had the
opportunity to
try out the
Comcept system
in 2015 during
its initial
implementation.
It is planned to
ramp up the
deployment of
user ground
stations over
2016.
“As the leading
operator of
military Satcom
services in the
world, Airbus
Defence and
Space has shown
the capacity of
its French team
to support the
Ministry of
Defence in the
development of
satellite
military
communication in
a cost-effective
manner,” said
Eric Soulères,
head of
Technical
Authority at
Airbus Defence
and Space’s
Communications,
Intelligence &
Security
division.
The core of the
Comcept network
comprises two
redundant
mission centres
to manage the
network and
teleports that
ensure the
transfer of data
between the
satellite and
the terrestrial
networks of the
Ministry of
Defence. The
armed forces are
equipped with
fixed and
deployable
stations of
different sizes
(ranging from
70 cm and
transportable in
a case up to
2.4 m in a
shelter)
designed by
Actia Telecom
and Airbus
Defence and
Space. More than
200 stations
have already
been delivered.
At the end of
2012, the DGA
entrusted Airbus
Defence and
Space and Actia
Telecom with
development of
the Comcept
network, with
the contract
planned to run
for 17 years. As
prime
contractor,
Airbus Defence
and Space is
responsible for
system
engineering and
the supply of
network core
equipment as
well as
through-life
support
services. Actia
Telecom, a
Brittany SME
specialised in
satellite
communications
and supplier to
the French
Ministry of
Defence,
conducts the
engineering,
integration and
through-life
support services
for user ground
stations.
