TAMPA, Fla. — French aerospace giant Safran said Nov. 4 it is extending its ground communications expertise to space by acquiring Syrlinks, which manufactures satellite radio-frequency equipment.
Syrlinks, also based in France, specializes in radiocommunications and radio navigational technologies for the space sector.
The company employs about 140 people and was sold to Safran’s electronics and defense division for an undisclosed sum.
Safran already provides antennas and modems for ground stations. With Syrlinks, Safran Electronics & Defense press officer Pascal Debergé said the group can offer integrated technologies that are “fully adapted” for uplink and downlink communications.
The products Safran previously sold for satellites were for applications outside of radiocommunications, including plasma thrusters, optical components, oscillators, inertial measurement units, and atomic clocks for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities.
Syrlinks also develops miniature atomic clocks as part of its PNT solutions for global navigation satellite systems.
According to Debergé, Syrlinks will bring additional receiver solutions to expand Safran’s PNT capabilities for commercial and defense markets.
Combining their technologies will help create more PNT solutions that can continue to “operate in denied or sensitive” environments, he said, where “safety, integrity of data are required.”
Safran’s announcement said Syrlinks’ headquarters in Cesson-Sévigné, northwestern France, also gives it a base in an academic and industrial community that is renowned for its expertise in telecoms and electronics.
