Thales to supply French DGA with VENUS terminals
Thales will supply 20 VENUS ground terminals to the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) as part of the French armed forces’ Syracuse III satellite programme. Thales announced the news on 22 February.
The VENUS terminals will be installed on VAB light armoured vehicles where they will operate as fully-functional network nodes for France’s satellite communications on-the-move (satcom OTM) capability.
The VENUS terminals, equipped with Thales satcom OTM systems, enable commanders to stay in touch while on the move in the theatre. The command vehicles communicate via the Syracuse system, which connects them directly to other deployed assets. With satcom OTM technology, vehicles fitted with satellite antennas can establish and maintain a satellite link whether they are moving or stationary.
Thales will deliver the terminals between early 2016 and mid-2017.
Ten VENUS terminals were ordered by the DGA in 2009 as part of an urgent operational requirement for Afghanistan. Delivered in 2010, these thermals have been deployed to Afghanistan and Mali, where they provided front-line vehicles with a permanent tactical communication capability in environments where other communication systems were unable to operate due to range limitations or terrain features, such as deep valleys and high mountains.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![AUSA 2026: Northrop Grumman targets lower-cost air defence with $100 million Raid Hunter investment]()
AUSA 2026: Northrop Grumman targets lower-cost air defence with $100 million Raid Hunter investment
At AUSA 2026, Northrop Grumman revealed it had invested US$100 million in its Raid Hunter gun-based air defence capability, which the company claims could reduce the cost of individual engagements by 95.5% compared with interceptor missiles.
-
![AUSA 2026: can converting established vehicle platforms offer route into emerging UGV market?]()
AUSA 2026: can converting established vehicle platforms offer route into emerging UGV market?
Defence manufacturers are showcasing uncrewed versions of established military and commercial vehicles at AUSA 2026 as the US Army’s Project Sustainment draws interest.
-
![How laser weapons could transform the economics of European air defence (Podcast)]()
How laser weapons could transform the economics of European air defence (Podcast)
Former UK Defence Secretary Lord John Hutton examines how drones, missiles, laser weapons and procurement pressures are reshaping European air defence.
