French Navy To Upgrade Aircraft Communications

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3892455&c=SEA&s=TOP

PARIS - The Délégation Générale pour l'Armement (DGA) has signed a contract worth 240 million euros ($330 million) with EADS Defense & Security for upgrading the French Navy's RIFAN communications network.

The upgrade will allow the Navy's air arm to connect to an intranet for ships, submarines and aircraft, the procurement office said Jan. 8.

Dubbed RIFAN (Reseau IP de la force aéronavale) Stage 2 and signed Dec. 22, the contract calls for installing an Internet protocol (IP) communications backbone over five years within 116 ships and submarines, Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft, Hawkeye early warning aircraft and NH90 helicopters, the DGA said.

The contract includes the provision of maintenance services for the first five years of operations.

"RIFAN Stage 2, the IP backbone for the naval air arm, is designed to be incorporated into the master plan of the Navy Information and Combat System," EADS Defense & Security and project co-contractors DCNS and Rohde & Schwarz said in a joint statement.

Rohde & Schwarz, a German information technology firmwill supply new V/UHF radios. DCNS, a French shipyard, will provide engineering services, including deployment of the equipment.

The Stage 2 contract includes management capacity that will allow naval commanders to supervise the whole network from sites on land.

Stage 2 follows an initial Stage 1 contract, under which 46 first-rank ships and six nuclear attack submarines were equipped with networking equipment.

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