Airbus and Thales Alenia Space to build two French military satellites in deal worth over €1.5 billion

France’s defence procurement agency awarded an Airbus-led team a contract worth more than €1.5 billion for two IRIS military imaging satellites and their supporting ground systems. Airbus Defence and Space will build both spacecraft platforms, supply much of the first imaging payload and lead work on the ground segment, while Thales Alenia Space will develop the second payload and supply components for the first. The satellites will use visible and infrared sensors to image Earth and will also be able to observe objects in orbit. The contract includes orbital operations and maintenance through the end of the 2030s.