Thales and SES demonstrate compatibility of secure anti-jamming waveforms with MEO satellites
- Thales's Modem21 system typically equips sovereign, ultra-resilient geostationary satellites offering secure, high-data-rate military satellite communications services with high levels of jamming protection.
- With the deployment of new satellite constellations, the armed forces are now taking steps to extend their coverage and develop hybrid satcom capabilities that will complement the services provided by geostationary satellites.
- Feasibility studies conducted under a defence technology project (PTD) for the French defence procurement agency (DGA) have demonstrated the compatibility of the Modem21 system with the Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation operated by SES.
- This demonstration of Modem21's capacity to operate with non-geostationary MEO satellites opens up new opportunities for the deployment of hybrid solutions combining ultra-secure communications based on sovereign military satellites in geostationary orbit with commercial MEO constellations in equatorial or polar orbit offering enhanced security and anti-jamming performance.
In October 2024, Thales and SES for the first time demonstrated the compatibility of Thales's Modem21 system with SES's O3b mPOWER satellites, establishing the system's capacity to operate with commercial MEO constellations.
"Multi-orbit compatibility of Modem21 with the SES constellation underscores the feasibility of future hybrid satellite solutions for the armed forces that will continue to meet the security and jamming protection requirements of military operations," said Alexandre Bottero, Vice President, Networks and Infrastructure Systems, Thales.
"As governments address the growing need for multi-orbit capabilities to guarantee the resilience, security and sovereignty of their communications, we are delighted to be aligning our efforts with those of our technology partners to help achieve these objectives. The combination of Thales's Modem21 with SES's innovative second-generation O3b mPOWER MEO system promises to deliver the high levels of technical performance and security required while ensuring that government customers preserve full control of their networks," said Roy Sielaff, Vice President, Space & Defence Europe, SES.
Hybridisation of sovereign and commercial satellite communications is a major opportunity for the armed forces to assert their connectivity superiority. With the demonstration of Modem21 operating with the O3b mPOWER satellites in SES's MEO constellation, Thales is paving the way to the development of new capabilities in hybrid, multi-band, multi-operator environments to meet the needs of the armed forces. Modem21 has already been deployed in various theatres of operations to provide command posts with secure communications capabilities. The system was selected by NATO about ten years ago and is fully compliant with STANAG 4606, NATO’s Electronic Protective Measures (EPM) standard.
The disruptive technology behind its communications protocol has been selected by about a dozen governments around the world.
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.
The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.
Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.
