This delivery is the outcome of three years of development work conducted in close collaboration with the DGA and the representatives of the French Army. Ultimately, 110 VBCIs are to be equipped with the SIR, which will be used in the different theatres of operation where the French Army is deployed.

Since 2002, EADS Defence & Security, through its integrated Business Unit Defence and Communications Systems (DCS), has supplied some 600 SIR systems integrated in different types of Forward Armoured Vehicles (VAB, Véhicules de l’avant blindé), 10’ and 15’ shelters, and AMX10 combat vehicles. 118 SIR kits used in off-vehicle mode have also been produced by DCS. Today, the SIR has been delivered to 80 regiments and French Army training schools. The SIR technology is interoperable with the other command systems of the French Army and NATO.

The SIR software was entirely produced by DCS, which constantly upgrades the system to satisfy the Army's requirements. At the core of the digitisation of the battle space, this system permits fully integrated command at regiment, group, battalion, squadron and company levels. DCS developed this technology to meet the highly specific needs of the French Ministry of Defence, to speed up the Command and Control processes and fully coordinate the units and weapons systems while guaranteeing very high mobility and surveillance capacities.

DCS is currently commissioned with the production of the SIR vehicles and the scalable maintenance of the SIR software while it is being used by the Armed Forces, and will provide SIR vehicle hardware maintenance until 2013.

Hervé Guillou, President of Defence and Communications Systems, said: “In delivering this new generation of SIR command systems, EADS Defence&Security is further reinforcing its relationship of trust with the French Ministry of Defence. Thanks to the work of our teams, we are pleased and proud to provide the French Army with innovative, high-performance French technology.”