A real breakthrough in aircraft connectivity: successful flight tests with Thales’s ANTARES-LP active array satcom antenna

To develop satellite connectivity solutions meeting the evolving needs of armed forces, the French defence procurement agency (DGA) has called on Thales’s expertise and placed an order for an ANTARES-LP (low profile) airborne active array satcom antenna prototype. The ANTARES-LP antenna operates in the Ka frequency band using sovereign and/or commercial satellites.

Armed Forces need complete high-throughput satellite communication solutions to meet aircraft connectivity requirements and maintain communications in some of the world’s most isolated theatres. The ANTARES-LP active array antenna is specifically designed to fulfil this role, using a beam-forming technique that’s unmatched in the marketplace today.

The DGA has conducted trials with the first ANTARES-LP prototype installed on a testbed aircraft at Cazaux in southwest France. This technologically innovative solution from Thales features an optimally low-profile active antenna to facilitate integration on the aircraft, make the product more resilient and deliver improved connectivity performance in the air. In addition, ANTARES-LP offers global coverage while reducing operating costs for Armed Forces customers.

The tests, conducted in real-world conditions, clearly demonstrated the performance of the miniaturised Ka band technology and its compatibility with aircraft operations. The success is an endorsement of Thales's advanced expertise in this segment and the credibility of our smart connectivity solutions, which are compatible with France’s Syracuse IV sovereign satellite network.

Developed under an advanced study, ANTARES-LP is a low-profile antenna specially designed for air missions. It meets the ambitious requirements of future aircraft programmes.