• MEFO is already replacing the various messaging services currently in use within the department.  
• This new service will ensure the exchange of classified information at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels.  

The President of Thales in Spain, Jesús Sánchez Bargos and the General Director of the Center for Information and Communication Systems and Technologies (CESTIC), Lieutenant General José María Millán Martínez, have presented the new formal messaging service (MEFO) of the Ministry of Defence at the facilities of the Higher Technical School of Naval Armament Engineers.

MEFO will be the unique formal military messaging service once it replaces the current systems used by the Armed Forces.

General Millán emphasized the joint work between CESTIC and Thales, highlighting the qualities of the personnel who worked on this project to provide the best messaging service to all users of the Ministry of Defence: capability, willingness, and perseverance.

For his part, the president of Thales in Spain emphasised the close collaboration with CESTIC and pointed out that, thanks to this tool, interoperability is guaranteed between the various organisations in the NATO environment, which is so necessary for Spain to have the weight it deserves in the international framework and to fulfil its commitments to the Alliance. 

Formal Messaging System of the Ministry of Defence (MEFO)

MEFO is the formal messaging service of the National Command and Control System (SC2N) of the Ministry of Defence, providing the necessary operational capabilities for the department authorities to exchange classified information at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels.

This new messaging service is being implemented under a framework agreement between the Ministry of Defence and Thales in Spain established in 2021, which includes the supply, installation, configuration, and adaptation of Thales' 'XOmail', the current NATO messaging service. In this way, interoperability between the various organizations and countries belonging to the Atlantic Alliance is ensured.

Thanks to the MEFO service, the Ministry of Defence will have access to a unified, modern, and robust formal messaging system that guarantees secure communications under all circumstances and at all levels.

Sobre Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialized in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space, and Cybersecurity & Digital identity.

It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

CESTIC: Manager and Administrator of MEFO

CESTIC, responsible for defining and planning the policies and strategies that manage information as a strategic resource for defence, will centrally manage and administer the MEFO service, with the support of the areas it serves: Central Organ, Defence General Staff, Army, Navy, Air and Space Force, and Military Emergency Unit.