The United Kingdom, France and Italy have signed an agreement with NATO to provide UHF and SHF satellite communications capacity for 15 years, starting in January 2005.
According to a recent Space News report, France will provide capacity aboard its SHF Syracuse 3 satellites, the first of which is scheduled for launch in February or March 2005. A second Syracuse 3 satellite is under construction at Alcatel Space.
The French arms-procurement agency, DGA, has an option for a third Syracuse 3 satellite and is considering different ways of sharing the overall management with Alcatel Space.
Paradigm, a subsidiary of EADS, is under contract with the British defence agency to supply satellite communications using UK¿s current Skynet 4 satellites, and to launch two large Skynet 5 spacecrafts in 2006.
