Syracuse (satellite)
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Syracuse (SYstème de RAdioCommunication Utilisant un SatellitE; English: Satellite-based radio communication system) is a series of French military communications satellite constellations. The Syracuse program is intended to enable safe and secure permanent communications between headquarters in mainland France and units deployed in theaters of operation around the world at all times (peace, crisis, major disaster...) as well as between the units themselves. It contributes to command, intelligence and logistics operations. Four generations of Syracuse constellations were deployed between 1984 and 2023.


Syracuse I and II

Syracuse I and II were payloads on joint civilian-military satellite designs developed and operated by the French PTT, and were more commonly known by their civilian names Télécom 1 (3 satellites launched in 1984, 1985 and 1988) and Télécom 2 (4 satellites in 1991, 1992, 1995 and 1996).
Matra Marconi Space Matra Marconi Space (MMS) was a Franco-British aerospace company. History Matra Marconi Space was established in 1990 as a joint venture between the space and telecommunication division of the French conglomerate Matra (Matra Espace) and ...
, a development contractor on the Syracuse II, also worked on the British Skynet 4 military communications satellites.


Syracuse III

This third generation of communications satellites was designed to meet the operational needs of the
French Armed Forces The French Armed Forces (, ) are the military forces of France. They consist of four military branches – the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force, and the National Gendarmerie. The National Guard serves as the French Armed Forces' milita ...
for secure, long-distance communications that are resistant to the threat of electronic warfare. It comprises satellites, fixed ground stations, deployable terminals (land and naval) and modems to protect communications from jamming. The novelty of this program lies in the fact that its installations, both in space and on the ground, are the exclusive property of the French Joint Defense Staff, ensuring the autonomy of the French armed forces in terms of satellite communications. The constellation consists of 3 satellites: * the Syracuse-3A (launched on October 13, 2005) * the Syracuse-3B (launched on August 11, 2006) * the SICRAL 2 (launched on April 26, 2015), which is a third complementary satellite developed in cooperation with Italy This system is completed by Comcept (complementary needs in projection and theater elongation communications) for "non-hardened" communications, which includes the
Athena-Fidus Athena-Fidus (Access on theatres for European allied forces nations-French Italian dual use satellite) is a French-Italian telecommunication satellite providing high-throughput secure communications to both nation's armed forces and their emerg ...
satellite. Syracuse III comprises 423 ground stations. This network is complemented on French Navy ships by the Telcomarsat commercial satellite system, which has equipped 54 ships since 2009.


Syracuse IV

In 2018, the French Ministry of Defence announced the launch of the Syracruse IV program, aiming to develop of a constellation of three satellites to succeed the Syracruse III. The first two satellites, Syracuse 4A and 4B, were initially ordered, and the third, Syracuse 4C, would later follow. Surplus capacity will be sold to armed and security forces in Europe and elsewhere.
Thales Alenia Space Thales Alenia Space () is a joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (company), Leonardo (33%). The company is headquartered in Cannes, France. It provides space-based ...
and
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were the selected contractors for the programme. The cost of the Syracuse 4 constellation is valued at €3.6 billion. Weighing in at 3850 kg, Syracuse 4A is Europe's first electrically-powered military satellite. "This innovative propulsion system based on
plasma propulsion engine A plasma propulsion engine is a type of electric propulsion that generates thrust from a quasi-neutral Plasma (physics), plasma. This is in contrast with ion thruster engines, which generate thrust through extracting an ion current from the ...
s, is the result of French know-how and represents a major technological advance for the space industry", the DGA explained. It adds: "Its advantages are numerous: used as a replacement for chemical propulsion, electric propulsion requires less fuel on board for the same service life, and significantly increases the satellite's carrying capacity, and therefore its communications payload. In particular, this technology will enable satellites to transmit in two different frequency bands". The Syracuse 4A and 4B satellites will offer military-grade X-band and Ka-band throughput of the order of 3 to 4 Gb/s (three times higher than that offered by Syracuse 3A and 3B), as well as greater resistance to cyber threats, electromagnetic pulses and jamming. They are equipped with
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equipment and the ability to move to counter any aggression. Syracuse 4A was launched on 24 October 2021 with an
Ariane 5 ECA Ariane 5 is a retired European Heavy-lift launch vehicle, heavy-lift space launch vehicle operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was launched from the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana. It was used to deliver p ...
rocket from the
Guiana Space Centre The Guiana Space Centre (; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport, is a spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas region of France in South America. Kourou is located approxim ...
. The second one, Syracuse 4B was launched on 5 July 2023, which was the final launch of the
Ariane 5 Ariane 5 is a retired European heavy-lift space launch vehicle operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was launched from the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana. It was used to deliver payloads into geostationar ...
rocket, while the third one was scheduled to be launched by 2025. However in April 2023, it was announced the first two satellites would be more than sufficient and that the last, Syracuse 4C, would be cancelled in favor of financing the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
's IRIS²
satellite internet constellation A satellite internet constellation is a constellation of artificial satellites providing satellite internet service. In particular, the term has come to refer to a new generation of very large constellations (sometimes referred to as megacon ...
. It was also announced a program to develop the next generation of communications satellite constellation (Syracuse V) would be launched in the 2024-2030 French Military Planning Law to succeed the Syracuse 4A and Syracuse 4B satellites post-2035.


See also

* French space program *
CNES CNES () is the French national space agency. Headquartered in central Paris, the agency is overseen by the ministries of the Armed Forces, Economy and Finance and Higher Education, Research and Innovation. It operates from the Toulouse Spac ...
* Defense Satellite Communications System * Skynet (satellite)


References

{{Orbital launches in 2023 Communications satellites Military communications Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Satellites of France Communications satellites of France