The Italian and French governments are evaluating competing bids to build a Ka-band broadband communications satellite for civil and military use that is scheduled to be launched by late 2012, French and Italian military officials said.rnOfficials said bids were received by the Oct. 16 deadline and a contract award for the satellite, called Athena/Fidus, is expected by April 2009.rnAthena/Fidus is being financed by the Italian and French space agencies and by both nations' defense ministries as well. It would provide links for non-critical military communications, and also for civil users in both nations.rnCapt. Giovanni Battista Durando of the Italian navy said the Italian SpacernAgency (ASI) and Italy's defense forces have developed a joint services program for Athena/Fidus, which like the Sicral 2 military telecommunications satellite is being managed as a bilateral project with France. Sicral 2 is military-only, with a contract expected to be awarded to Franco-Italian satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space in the coming months.
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