Thales is strengthening its leadership in new-generation communications systems by participating in the European secure software defined radio (ESSOR) project.

The project aimed at establishing European standards for secure software-defined radios such as Thales software-defined radios called FlexNet, the first field tests of which have been successful.

Thales is a key player in the ESSOR project, a joint initiative of six European countries to cooperate in the software-defined radio field. It aims to improve interworking between European forces through the definition of a European standardising reference base for software-defined radio.

As a decision-making tool in fields of operation, software-defined radios are key components in battlefield digitisation.

Director of the tactical communications at Thales, Pierre Suslenschi said that the agreement would boost FlexNet capabilities.

“A major export contract for more than 1,500 radios won at the end of 2008 launched the FlexNet radio into production. On the basis of the ESSOR contract, Thales is able to offer a high-performance software-defined radio solution with guaranteed compatibility with the future standards,” said Suslenschi.

FlexNetis an innovative solution already adopted by several countries and is based on multi-band and multi-channel platforms and designed to an open and reliable architecture.

By Daniel Garrun.