SYNAPS Software-Defined Radio

Thales's software-defined radio family providing secure, high-throughput tactical communications across land, naval and airborne networks.

In service since 2018

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-05

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

French export-licensed

CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.

Channel: DGA / direct commercial

Fielded & proven

Operator data not public

In service since 2018. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Overview

SYNAPS is Thales's software-defined radio (SDR) family, spanning handheld, vehicular, naval and airborne form factors on a common waveform-agnostic architecture. It delivers wideband IP networking, simultaneous voice and data, and cross-domain interoperability for coalition operations. (Thales's naval combat-management system is a separate product line, TACTICOS.)

Full specifications

Software & C2

Command, control, mission and combat-system software capability.

Software type What the software does: combat management, battle management, mission planning, fire control, EW management, cyber defense or ISR fusion.: Naval combat management system
Operating domains Warfare domains the software covers: air, land, sea, subsurface, space, cyber. More domains means broader joint integration.: Sea
Data links Tactical data links and networking standards supported: Link 16, Link 22, MADL, TADIL. Overlap indicates interoperability.: Link 16, Link 11
Open architecture Standards-based, modular design (FACE, OMS/UCI, SOSA) versus a closed proprietary stack. Open architecture eases upgrades and third-party integration.: Standards-based / open
Integrates with Platforms, sensors or effectors the software is designed to command or fuse.: radar, sonar, electronic warfare, shipboard weapons

Specifications compiled from public Thales Group and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-05.

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