French Navy Chooses Entel for its French Ensign Vessels
Entel has won a four year contract to supply the French Navy with its well-respected HT submersible series of radios. The Marine Nationale decided to seek out the best possible radios for its most prestigious vessels - including the Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier, the French Navy's iconic flagship, and Europe's largest warship - following concerns over the quality of radio products previously supplied from another manufacturer.
With a critical state-defined role in protecting populations, preventing crises, and maintaining vital French interests, Navy vessels clearly depend on reliable radio communications, so a radio brand that has never compromised on design excellence and specialises in products that can withstand harsh marine environments was deemed essential.
With the security stakes so high, and the French taxpayer footing the bill, rigorous trials were conducted to determine which make and model was best suited to a salt-water environment and able to keep going in the most challenging conditions at sea. Entel's confidence was not misplaced, as the enviable pedigree of its submersible HT series radios quickly allowed it to emerge as the front-runner, impressing with its robust build quality, designed to withstand saltwater corrosion, an intelligent form-factor designed for ease of use, audio clarity, and long battery charge cycles.
The ready availability of mid-band VHF 66-88 MHz, as well as UHF 400-470 MHz and VHF 136-174 MHz across the whole HT submersible range of portables, was also to Entel's advantage. This allows for the phased replacement of radios aboard the Navy's 84 warships and 10 submarines, whether they choose to upgrade with Entel's standard HT700 series, or its ATEX-certified HT900 series of submersible handheld radios.
