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May 15, 2018

Syracuse 4

The aim of the Syracuse 4 programme is to maintain an uninterrupted communications capability at all times (peacetime, crises or major disasters), through a new generation of French military telecommunications satellites in geostationary orbit.

SYRACUSE 4 (SYstème de RAdioCommunication Utilisant un SatellitE, formerly COMSAT-NG) is a geostationary military satcom programme designed to replace the Syracuse 3A and Syracuse 3B satellites currently in orbit.

The Syracuse 4 programme intends to develop, sustain, build and orbit two geostationary satellites.

The French defence procurement agency DGA has tasked the consortium of Airbus Defence & Space and Thales Alenia Space, the two Syracuse 4 prime contractors, with developing two types of satellite. Airbus Defence & Space will be supplying a satellite built around its Eurostar 3000 all-electric spacecraft bus, while Thales Alenia Space is developing another all-electric satellite around its SpaceBus Neo 100 bus.

Syracuse 4 is developing a number of innovations to improve communications for the armed forces. These include new main antennas and new ground control centres, as well as larger frequency bands (X band: 8 -12.5 GHz and Ka band: 26.5-40 GHz) and an anti-jamming system to boost communications capacity, flexibility and resistance to jamming. The two satellites will carry identical payloads.

The satellites will be launched by an Ariane 5 ECA vehicle.