France's armed forces have ordered two next generation communication satellites from Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
The two satellites are due to replace two already in orbit in 2021. The order from the Defence Procurement Agency also calls for ground controls and support for 17 years once they enter service.
Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between French defense electronics group Thales with 67 percent and Italian aerospace and defense group Finmeccanica SIFI.MI> with 33 percent.
Airbus Defence and Space is a unit of the European aircraft maker.
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