Navy Recognition is reporting a contract between the French Navy and a consortium of Airbus Defence and Space and Telespazio France that would provide “user-friendly” 24 hour a day access to satellite derived  optical and radar imaging and AIS (Automatic Identification System) data to each maritime zone command.

Airbus Defence and Space and Telespazio France will be utilising a unique combination of satellites for the Trimaran 2 service, which supplements the range of resources already implemented by the French Navy and form an integral part of its operations concept. This contract, which runs from 2016 to 2020, will improve the effectiveness of the Navy’s missions on the world’s oceans: whether combating trafficking, preventing illegal immigration, performing search and rescue operations at sea, detecting pollution and toxic discharges, or monitoring protected maritime areas. (emphasis applied–Chuck)

France has a huge Exclusive Economic Zone, second only to that of the US and very nearly as large, but its Navy, which also does Coast Guard functions, is smaller than the US Coast Guard.

Apparently the same contractors are providing similar data to the Australian Border Force and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).