Overview  |  Description  |  Technical card  |  Industrial card  |  Equipment and ammunition  |  Countries equipped  |  Cooperation

Alongside other sensors in the Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence (C3I) force system such as UAVs or reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft which are more aimed at regional or local applications within an operational theatre, Hélios now offers its global coverage, a permanent ability to overfly within international law and repetitive imaging. Hélios imagery is available on airbases, in some French Navy warships and at the heart of the land element during external operations. Its use during the Kosovo crisis enabled recognition for the first time of its potential on such a scale within an operational and tactical framework.

To ensure continuity of the Hélios optical service, France is developing the second generation Hélios II. Belgium and Spain have already joined this programme, which, together with the Italian system Cosmo-Skymed and the German system Sar Lupe, heralds future European observation satellite capabilities.

Hélios II will offer significant improvements in resolution, number of images generated and speed of image sequencing, while reducing still further the delay between a request for imaging and the availability at the user of the intelligence product through improvements in each link in the intelligence chain.

This cooperative programme is a model and a reference for the building of a European Defence and Space identity.