Egypt and France to sign military communications satellite deal on 10 May

According to French business newspaper La Tribune, France and Egypt will sign a contract for a military communications satellite worth 600 million Euros on Tuesday, 10 May 2016, in Paris.

SpaceWatch Middle East first reported on this deal in April 2016, just before French President Francois Hollande and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signaling each country’s intent to seal the agreement.

Now that the final details have been successfully concluded, an Egyptian delegation is expected in Paris for the signing along with French government officials and executives from the prime contractors Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space.

SpaceWatch Middle East also reported in April that the Egyptian satellite is likely to be similar to the satellites provided to the United Arab Emirates’ satellite communications company YahSat. These satellites are based on the Airbus EuroStar-3000 bus, with Thales Alenia Space providing the communications payload.