Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat has signed an 8-year contract with the French government designed to ensure access to Eutelsat’s OneWeb satellite fleet and as a bridge to the upcoming IRIS2 highly-secure fleet of orbiting satellites.

The contract, described as a “call off” capacity agreement under the NEXUS framework deal is worth a potential €350 million and is an immediately operational solution to meet the Defence sector’s strategic requirements ahead of the deployment of IRIS2.

The signature, through the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), of the CENTAURE contract, marking the first call-off contract under the €1 billion NEXUS framework agreement with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans inked in June 2025.

“This new milestone marks the first concrete implementation of the NEXUS project (Neo-Space for Multiple Secure Uses), a strategic initiative led by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans to strengthen France’s military satellite communications capabilities by combining sovereign assets with trusted commercial capacity. Against a geopolitical backdrop characterised by growing demand for secure, resilient and sovereign connectivity, France is continuing to enhance its space capabilities while preparing for the deployment of the future European IRIS2 constellation,” stated Eutelsat.

“The total CENTAURE contract is valued at circa €350 million, for a duration of up to eight years. It is comprised of an initial firm commitment of €138 million over a period of four years for the provision of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite capacity across multiple areas of strategic interest to the French Armed Forces as well as an initial stage aimed at enhancing the security of Eutelsat’s OneWeb services,” Eutelsat added.

Jean‑François Fallacher, CEO at Eutelsat, said: “The signature of the CENTAURE contract marks a major milestone in the implementation of the NEXUS framework agreement and reflects the continued trust placed by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces in the capabilities of our OneWeb constellation. In a profoundly transformed strategic environment, secure, resilient and low-latency connectivity has become a decisive driver of military operational effectiveness. With an infrastructure that is immediately available and field-proven, Eutelsat is now delivering a concrete response to the needs of the French Armed Forces.”

Patrick Pailloux, Director General for Armaments (DGA) added: “With the CENTAURE call-off contract, France is taking another step forward in the modernisation of its military satellite communications capabilities. Recent conflicts have demonstrated the critical importance of diverse, secure, resilient and sovereign connectivity for the conduct of modern operations. By relying on a trusted European solution that is immediately available and provides global low-latency coverage, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans is acquiring the necessary resources to address today’s operational challenges while laying the groundwork for the future sovereign European capabilities that will be delivered through the IRIS2 programme.”

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Satellite

Tags: eutelsat, france, OneWeb