The French military requirement for satellites

The article concentrates on Syracuse, the French communications satellites system. It highlights the French Ministry of Defence resourceful solution for a common but independent use of a satellite platform for civilian and military purposes. Syracuse was developed in national programs under the National Space Centre (CNES) control. These programmes have been called Telecom 1 and then 2. They are composed of multi-missions satellites based on a technical and financial co-operation between the French MOD and the civilian operator France Telecom. Syracuse 1 was operational in 1984 with 26 ground stations. As this cooperation proved to be successful, it was decided in 1987 to launch Syracuse 2