Vizada and Eclipse have just signed an agreement to jointly cater to the mobile satellite communications needs of the aeronautical community. The two partners have begun providing services to the French Navy, including the activation of the SwiftBroadband service on its Dassault Falcon 50M maritime surveillance aircraft.

As part of their deal with the French Navy, Eclipse and Vizada supply each aircraft with a complete package of aero mobile EMS Satcom satellite equipment, onboard solutions, airtime and support. The deal is part of the French Navy Aeronavale Aviasat program and brings Inmarsat SwiftBroadband capabilities for voice, data and video to Dassault Falcon 50M and Dassault Atlantique 2 maritime surveillance aircrafts. SwiftBroadband is an IP-based, high-speed data mobile satcom service offering broadband in-flight connectivity including both cockpit communications and cabin applications. Following the launch of Inmarsat’s third I-4 satellite in August 2008, the service will become global starting in 2009. Successful tests of the SwiftBroadband service on board the aircrafts have been performed, meeting the French Navy’s demand for increased bandwidth as well as delivering high-quality voice communications. By joining forces, Vizada and Eclipse aim to provide a superior satellite communications service to the aeronautical community. They combine Eclipse’s extensive experience within this segment with Vizada’s range of value added services, Vizada Solutions. These include user-friendly applications for data and email transfer, as well as a variety of interconnect solutions, including VPN, to match customers’ requirements in terms of security, flexibility and bandwidth. (Photos are of the Dessault Falcom 50M and the Dessault Atlantique 2.)