The French defense procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales the ALTEA (*) study contract to analyze the LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard and its use by the French Armed Forces.

The technical and operational study will identify the potential capability gains of commercial LTE technology for French Land, Air and Naval Forces on domestic and expeditionary operations in collaboration with Security Forces.

The 10-month study will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will analyze technical and commercial aspects of the LTE standard and its compatibility with military usage. The second will focus on the research and study of specific solutions that use LTE technology.

Once concluded, the study will provide decision-makers with insights into the range of options available and their impact on program costs, timeframes and risks.

Thales is recognized for its ability to exploit synergies between civil and military technologies. This study of the LTE standard, the latest technology used by civil communications networks, fits perfectly with the Group's strategic positioning across the defense-security continuum.

Large numbers of commercial operators have adopted LTE technology to increase network capacity and in turn meet the demand generated by new usage patterns and bandwidth-intensive applications, such as streaming video.

With the increasing use of information systems by the Armed Forces, LTE is the prime candidate for meeting operational demand for high-data-rate communications. However, this civil technology must be adapted to the military environment, where operating conditions are more severe and performance requirements are more stringent.

This study is part of Thales's broader involvement in developing the tactical communication capabilities of the future. In 2012, the Group was awarded a contract with the French defense procurement agency (DGA) for the CONTACT program (Communications Numérisées TACtiques et de Théâtre) to provide next-generation radio systems for the French Armed Forces.

(*) ALTEA: Analyse de la norme LTE et son exploitation au sein des forces Armées