CONTRACT COVERS SIX DEPLOYABLE HEADQUARTERS FOR SOFCOM

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) has selected the consortium formed by Thales and Leonardo as its trusted provider to deliver a next-generation secure deployable communication and information system for the Allied Special Operations Forces Command (SOFCOM). The contract — the first project of a larger NATO programme aimed at delivering state-of-the-art communication and information systems to SOFCOM — covers delivery and training for six deployable headquarters, known as Deployable Points of Presence for Special Operations Component Commands (DPOPs SOCC). These systems form the cornerstone of a future comprehensive secure information and communication architecture for NATO Special Operations Forces, built on classified and resilient networks.

SYSTEM CAPABILITIES AND WHAT THEY DELIVER

The DPOPs are required to meet highly demanding operational requirements specific to special forces deployments. The system specification includes zero-day deployable information technology infrastructure, resilient communications and high-performance computing, all designed with a reduced electromagnetic and physical footprint — a critical consideration for special operations units whose operational security depends on limiting their signature. The system provides a secure multi-domain environment for mission data exchange, incorporating field-proven solutions designed to ensure robustness, interoperability and strong cybersecurity across all layers.

Particularly notable is the inclusion of real-time Full Motion Video (FMV) sharing capabilities across different deployable systems — described as a first in a NATO operational context. The ability to share live video feeds across geographically distributed special operations headquarters significantly enhances situational awareness and operational coordination, supporting the kind of time-sensitive intelligence sharing on which special forces missions depend. The system will be operable and upgradable across its full operational lifecycle, with training and support provided under NCIA lead to ensure a smooth transition to operations.

PAN-EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSHIP

The Thales-Leonardo consortium represents a Franco-Italian industrial partnership that will also draw on key technological contributions from industrial partners in the United Kingdom and Germany, making the programme a genuinely pan-Alliance effort. Alexandre Bottero, Vice President of Networks and Infrastructure Systems at Thales, said the company brought end-to-end expertise in secure information and communication systems, deep knowledge of NATO’s reference architecture and a long track record of delivering programmes to the Alliance. He said combining this with Leonardo’s capabilities meant harnessing the best of European industry in a modular, upgradable and field-proven system.

Antonio Levato, Senior Vice President of Air and Land Systems Land and Sea Business at Leonardo Electronics, said the company’s experience — developed at the Italian national level through the delivery of complete Regimental and Divisional Command Post capabilities — enabled the introduction of modular NATO-ready systems based on fixed and expandable shelters. He said the strength of the design derived from close collaboration between industry and the end user, who had chosen Leonardo as both System Integrator and Design Authority for Italian command post, and that the partnership combined Leonardo’s field-proven deployable solutions with Thales’s experience in NATO secure communications programmes.