• Air Warfare

  Will the force be with VADER?

  22nd June 2021

  The first ISTAR aircraft developed by the French Air and Space Force will be sent to Mali in July.

• Air Warfare

  VADER completes first African tests

  25th June 2021

  Acclimatisation flights in Djibouti prepare the French airborne ISR platform for its first deployment to Mali.

• Naval Warfare

  France stays sanguine on Greek frigate prospects despite stiff competition

  21st June 2021

  ​Naval Group spearheads French industry efforts to meet Greek future frigate requirements, as the decision day looms.

• Land Warfare

  Canada to close army BMS capability gap

  13th July 2021

  As the Canadian Army retires its older Command and Control and Battle Management System applications it faces a race against time to introduce new and interim software and hardware to avoid obsolescence.

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea inducts second LPH for amphibious lift

  29th June 2021

  The South Korean navy's ability to deploy marines and helicopters has taken a major step forwards with the commissioning of a second Dokdo-class LPH.

• Land Warfare

  Czech Army artillery FC programme moves back on track

  5th July 2021

  The Czech Army's delayed artillery fire control system acquisition programme is finally set to come to fruition this year. The challenge now is to decide between the systems on offer.

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales helps put Australian heads in the clouds

  1st June 2021

  A new indigenous cloud computing solution for the Australian Defence Force is on offer from Thales Australia.

• Naval Warfare

  Naval Group, MBDA and Thales submit offer for the modernisation of Hellenic Navy

  3rd June 2021

  Naval Group, MBDA and Thales have submitted an offer for the modernisation of the surface fleet of the Hellenic Navy.

• Land Warfare

  France details Leclerc tank upgrade

  6th July 2021

  As European armies embark on upgrades to their heavy armoured forces, France finally initiates its Leclerc tank upgrade programme that has been planned for the past six years.

• Defence Notes

  Norway and the Netherlands partner for Thales’ radar

  28th May 2021

  Norway and the Netherlands have signed an agreement for five of Thales’ multi-mission radar.

• Training

  Lockheed Martin awards training subcontract for Franco-German Super Hercules squadron

  17th May 2021

  Lockheed Martin has awarded a training services subcontract for the Franco-German C-130J squadron to Rheinmetall and Thales.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy successfully intercepts a ballistic missile in space

  2nd June 2021

  US Navy intercepts a ballistic missile in space using data from the Thales SMART-L MM/N radar.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia to upgrade Collins class as crisis brews

  15th June 2021

  Belatedly, Australia has reacted to the need to upgrade existing submarines as arrival of the Attack class recedes into the future.

• Naval Warfare

  Ukraine to acquire Sandown minehunters, eight missile boats from UK

  23rd June 2021

  The UK has stepped up efforts to bolster Ukraine’s navy with a comprehensive agreement covering new ships, training, and the regeneration of naval facilities.

• Air Warfare

  France conducts first F4-1 Rafale test campaign

  21st May 2021

  The French Directorate General of Armament carried out the first F4-1 Rafale test campaign.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• ISR/special mission

  Strategic Intelligence Aircraft [France]

  Programme Background In February 2018, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, announced that the strategic intelligence aircraft program CUGE Universal EW Capability began ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Land 121 Phase 4 (Hawkei PMV-L)

  Programme Background Three suppliers were originally down-selected to meet the Land 121 Phase 4 requirement: Thales Australia, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and Force Protection ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Spy Ranger SMDR - Contracted (France)

  Programme Background Requirement The French Army has identified a need for a new tactical UAS to replace the Drac UAS, which first entered service in ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Spy Ranger SMDR - Option (France)

  Programme Background Requirement The French Army has identified a need for a new tactical UAS to replace the Drac UAS, which first entered service in ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Flexible Tactical Uncrewed Air System (FTUAS) [UK]

  Programme Background Tender Notice & Timeline On 25 May 2021, the MoD published a tender notice for the urgent acquisition of a UAS and ancillaries under ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Su-30SM Armenia

  The Su-30SM is upgraded variant of Su-30MKI. Its capabilities include Bars-R radar, RVV-SV medium-range air-to-air missile, Thales SMD55S/VEN-3022 or Russian IKSh-1M avionics replacing Elbit SU967 head-up display, LINS-1000RS inertial ...

• Special operations vehicles

  Pegaz Special Operations Vehicles

  Programme BackgroundRequirementThe Polish MoD has a long-standing requirement to procure a new 4x4 tactical vehicle to replace the M1165A1 HMMWVs and Oshkosh M-ATVs currently in ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  LAV Replacement [Japan]

  Programme Background The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) received 1,937 Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) from Komatsu between 2001 and ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Belgium Jaguar Medium Common Armoured Vehicle Platform

  Programme Background In its Strategic Vision for Defence document published in June 2016, the Belgian MoD outlined its aspirations for equipping five motorised manoeuvre battalions ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4, APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) Package 2

  Programme Background The MRV-P platforms will replace a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, thereby helping to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VBCI (Qatar)

  Programme Background The VBCI-2 was selected in preference to a competing offer comprising Patria's AMV 8x8 equipped with a Lockheed Martin turret. However, at the ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530G Lebanon

  The Armed MD 530G Scout Attack Helicopter features next-generation all-glass cockpit that includes: two Genesys Aerosystems IDU-680 6” x 9” LCD primary displays, Tek Fusion ...

• Frigates

  MKS 180 Programme (1-4) [Germany]

  Programme Background Timeline The MKS 180 frigate programme for the Federal German Navy reflects the desire for the German government to become more engaged on ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Belgium Griffon Light Common Armoured Vehicle Platform

  Programme Background In its Strategic Vision for Defence document published in June 2016, the Belgian MoD outlined its aspirations for equipping five motorised manoeuvre battalions ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4, Mine-protected vehicles

  Bushmaster PMV (Indonesia)

  Programme Background In an effort to deepen security cooperation between Indonesia and Australia, the two countries signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement at a meeting held ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Service Provision

  Thales supports armed forces in peacetime and during operations, providing ab initio, operational conversion, continuation, upgrade and refresher training, through to mission rehearsal in preparation ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A330 Voyager MRTT Training Services

  Through AirTanker Services, a JV between Thales, Airbus Group, Cobham, Rolls-Royce and Babcock, Thales provides and maintains training services for the RAF’s Future Strategic Tanker ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  FlexNet

  FlexNet, developed by Thales and Rockwell Collins Government Systems, is an SDR which acts as a foundation for network-enabled capability. FlexNet allows a mobile ad ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service

  Thales provides its Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service (TSTS) through its 100%-owned subsidiary, Ace. The service is a complete suite of synthetic training for Tornado ...

• Land: vehicle simulators

  AFV Training

  Thales provides armoured vehicle, gunnery and driving simulators to a number of armies. For example, the French Army has been supplied with 33 Leclerc MBT ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  FMS and Helicopter Mission and Tactical Training

  Thales delivers a range of training devices for helicopter mission and tactical training with FMSs.  The cockpit environment of a Thales FMS reproduces the visual, ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A400M Training

  Thales is the principal training provider for the Airbus A400M with a contract to provide FFSs and flat-panel trainers. Four A400M FFS and two flat-panel ...

• Air: helicopter radar

  DAV

  Thales’ DAV warning and surveillance radar enable the crew to detect, track, identify and designate air threats from a safe distance. The system is installed ...

• EO/IR systems

  Damocles

  Damocles is a multi-function pod designed to be compatible with existing and future weapon systems. It features a staring array detector, tracking systems, image processing, ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Ocean Master

  The Ocean Master is a sea surveillance and patrol radar for the detection of all types and sizes of targets in all sea states. It ...

• Air-to-air missiles, Surface-to-air missiles

  Starstreak AAM

  The Starstreak AAM is a variant of the Thales hypervelocity SAM. The helicopter-fired ATASK (Air-To-Air Starstreak) was developed in combination with McDonnell-Douglas and Lockheed Martin between 1995 ...

• Air: sonar systems

  TMS 2000

  The TMS 2000 was developed by Thales. It is a sonobuoy processing system to be used with helicopter and MPA applications. It has been designed ...

• Land: vehicle simulators

  Driving Simulators

  Thales offers a range of driving simulators for many types of platforms such as tanks, light tracked, wheeled and engineering vehicles. More than 300 vehicle ...

• Sea: procedural training

  CBT/CAI systems

  Thales has authored and deployed CBT and Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) systems on a number of ships in the UK RN's fleet, including Type 45 destroyers, ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Eurofighter Typhoon ASTA

  Indra has assumed general management and the largest holding in Eurofighter Simulation Systems (ESS), the company responsible for the Eurofighter Typhoon Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids ...