WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The French defense procurement agency has contracted Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defense and Space to construct their next generation of military communication satellites.
The Comsat NG contract covers two military communications satellites for the French armed forces. Once completed, the satellites will be launched to replace the aging Syracuse 3A and Syracuse 3B, which were launched in 2005 and 2006 respectively. The new satellites are scheduled to enter service in 2021.