The French defense procurement agency (DGA) has selected Thales to upgrade the command functions of the French Army and Navy as part of the SIA information system transformation program.

Under this contract, designated SIA C2, Thales will replace the Army and Navy’s legacy command information systems with a single harmonized system to meet the growing need for force interoperability. The chain of command: the central nervous system at the heart of operations.

Today, interoperability within joint and coalition forces has become a key requirement. The chain of command is critically important and serves as the central nervous system for force operations. The complementary role played by land, air and naval forces in combined operations calls for closer integration of command structures and the information and communication networks that support them.

Over the next two years, SIA C2 will transform the command information systems of France’s land and naval forces by combining them into a new-generation system. SIA C2 will facilitate information exchange at all levels by delivering a set of common tools for joint forces operations, while meeting all the specific requirements of land forces command.

Legacy systems will continue to be maintained and supported until the SIA C2 system is rolled out across the two forces.

With the SIA C2 contract, Thales will demonstrate its ability to utilize state-of-the-art technology to enhance operational performance. This latest award strengthens the company’s leadership in the design and delivery of large-scale secure information system programs for defense customers in France and internationally.

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defense and Security markets. With 61,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of €13 billion in 2014. With over 20,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements worldwide.