Airbus, a European aerospace and planemaker, announced on Tuesday that it would build the French Air and Naval Force's communications network under a contract worth up to 480 million euro ($502.46million).

Airbus Defence and Space and Naval Group in France will collaborate on the project up to ten years. The aim is to deploy the communication network on 80 warships between 2028 and 2030.

In a press release, Airbus Defence and Space's Head of Space Digital Eric Even stated that "we are preparing...for collaborative naval combat and networked warfare of all assets and platform involved in naval operations."

The IP Network of the Naval Force contract covers development, deployment and maintenance of the system.

The company said that its improved network would rely on an "enhanced' cybersecurity system to maintain operational continuity against growing cyber threats.

As Europe battles pro-Russian hackers and member states look for ways to beef up their cybersecurity, the importance of resilience grows.

(source: Reuters)