The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has awarded the contract for the IP Network of the Naval Force (RIFAN) stage 3 to an industrial consortium led by Airbus Defence and Space and also comprising Naval Group. With a maximum value of 480 million euros and a maximum duration of 10 years, the contract covers the development of RIFAN upgrades, their deployment and operational maintenance.
“Airbus Defence and Space has been involved in the development and deployment of the network and communication systems of French Navy ships for almost 15 years,” said Eric Even, Head of Space Digital at Airbus Defence and Space. “With RIFAN 3, we are preparing for the next stage, that of collaborative naval combat, networked combat of all assets and platforms involved in naval operations.”
The developments will be carried out incrementally between 2026 and 2030 and deployed on ships between 2028 and 2032. More than 80 vessels will be equipped with the RIFAN 3 network: aircraft carriers, amphibious helicopter carriers, frigates, command and supply vessels, patrol vessels, minesweepers, submarines and support vessels.
This new RIFAN 3 contract aims, in particular, to increase inter-ship connectivity to progressively meet the needs of collaborative combat, thanks to new high-speed, low-latency transmission means that will be deployed on front-line vessels.