The Syracuse program is intended to enable safe and secure permanent communications between headquarters in mainland France and units deployed in theaters of operation around the world at all times (peace, crisis, major disaster...) as well as between the units themselves.
[2] Matra Marconi Space, a development contractor on the Syracuse II, also worked on the British Skynet 4 military communications satellites.
It comprises satellites, fixed ground stations, deployable terminals (land and naval) and modems to protect communications from jamming.
The novelty of this program lies in the fact that its installations, both in space and on the ground, are the exclusive property of the French Joint Defense Staff, ensuring the autonomy of the French armed forces in terms of satellite communications.
[12] Syracuse 4A was launched on 24 October 2021 with an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from the Guiana Space Centre.