Syracuse 3B Military Communications Satellite Arrives at Launch site in French Guiana

Alcatel Alenia Space, PARIS: The new-generation military communications satellite Syracuse 3B, built by Alcatel Alenia Space as prime contractor for the French Defense procurement agency (DGA), arrived today in Kourou, French Guiana, for launch by an Ariane 5 ECA on August 11, 2006. 
 
Syracuse 3B will join the Syracuse 3A satellite, launched on October 13, 2005, to complete the Syracuse III system. Syracuse III is the first military satellite of its generation that combines broadband capacity, flexibility, easy reconfigurability and highly secure connections, along with a dedicated ground control segment. France's Syracuse system is up and running, providing permanent connections between military and political authorities at home and operating units deployed around the world. 
 
The Syracuse III system is the most complete defense solution of its kind, covering both voice communications and the secure data transmission. It supports a wide range of new services, including telephony services, access to military intranets and videoconferencing, plus network interconnections and interoperability between the allied forces. 
 
In addition, this high-performance system is open to collaborative use, and allows both Germany and NATO to share Syracuse 3A resources. Like Syracuse 3A, the latest Syracuse 3B satellite is based on Alcatel Alenia Space's commercial Spacebus platform, reinforced to resist nuclear attack. It features a state-of-the-art payload operating in the SHF (super high frequency) and EHF (extremely high frequency) bands. The system delivers significantly improved service, in terms of both data rates and resistance to countermeasures.  
 
Alcatel Alenia Space is the European leader in satellite systems, at the forefront of orbit infrastructures. Created in July 2005, the company brings together the vast experience and know-how of Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio to form a new leading force in European space technology. Alcatel Alenia Space represents a worldwide standard for space development that impacts everybody's future: from navigation to telecommunications, from meteorology to environmental monitoring, from defense to science and observation. Alcatel Alenia Space is an affiliate of Alcatel (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%).