Successful launch of French military communications satellite Syracuse 3B, built by Alcatel Alenia Space as prime contractor

Paris, August 14, 2006 - The new-generation military communications satellite Syracuse 3B, built by Alcatel Alenia Space as prime contractor for French defense procurement agency DGA, has been successfully orbited by an Ariane 5 ECA from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

Positioned at 5 degrees East, Syracuse 3B will join the Syracuse 3A satellite, launched on October 13, 2005, to complete the Syracuse III system. France’s Syracuse III system is up and running, providing permanent connections between military and political authorities at home and operating units deployed around the world.

Like Syracuse 3A, the latest Syracuse 3B satellite is based on Alcatel Alenia Space’s Spacebus platform, in a hardened version. It features a state-of-the-art payload operating in the SHF (super high frequency) and EHF (extremely high frequency) bands.

The Syracuse III system delivers optimized service in terms of both data throughput and resistance to countermeasures. It has been selected by NATO (C3 Agency), along with the Skynet system from Britain and the Sicral system from Italy, to provide the SHF capacity needed by NATO countries, within the scope of NATO’s post-2000 SATCOM program.

Syracuse III will be gradually deployed as components in the ground segment are delivered. Thales is prime contractor for the ground segment, while Alcatel Alenia Space is responsible for adapting the metropolitan base stations, producing some of the tactical stations, and also taking part in construction of the large, broadband mobile stations and shipborne stations. For the first time in a military system, Alcatel Alenia Space is implementing a satellite-based broadband ADSL solution derived from Internet access technologies developed for the civil telecom sector.

As prime contractor for the Syracuse system in France and the Sicral system in Italy, Alcatel Alenia Space is the European leader in satellite solutions for defense. Alcatel Alenia Space’s products and services are ideally suited to meet emerging defense and security requirements worldwide, based on the company’s proven expertise in major military communications and observation programs, in-depth understanding of customer requirements, and ability to delivery dual (civil/military) solutions. Alcatel Alenia Space has supplied the communications satellites Koreasat 5 (South Korea) and Star One C1 and C2 (Brazil), as well as optical instruments on the satellites Helios 2 and Pléiades (France), Cosmo-SkyMed (Italy), Sar-Lupe (Germany) and Kompsat 5 (South Korea), plus the satellites for France’s early warning demonstration system, Spirale.

About Alcatel Alenia Space
Alcatel Alenia Space is the European leader in satellite systems and at the forefront of orbital infrastructures. Created in July 2005, the company brings together the vast experience and know-how of Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio to form a new leading force in European space technology. Alcatel Alenia Space represents a worldwide standard for space development that impacts everybody’s future: from navigation to telecommunications, from meteorology to environmental monitoring, from defense to science and observation. Alcatel Alenia Space is an affiliate of Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) (67%) and Finmeccanica (Milan:SIFI.MI, FNC.IM) (33%).

About Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 13.1 billion and 58,000 employees in 2005, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com

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Stéphane Lapeyrade

Corporate Media Relations

Alcatel

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