Thales highlights on its air defence solutions

At Defexpo, Thales is highlighting on an array of its air defence products, and emphasising more on it was Laurent Duport, Strategy and Business Development Director, Advanced Weapons Systems, Thales Air System, gave a presentation on Thales capabilities and solutions.

Speaking to the media, Duport gave details of Thales products like Shikra 60; air-defence extended solution (ADES); gun systems, SAMP/T short-range air defence systems, rocket systems, missile systems, etc.

The Shikra 60 provides complete airspace surveillance up to a range of 80 km and ensures optimised engagement of weapon systems against conventional and asymmetric threats in dense clutter or intense jamming situation. It combines high performance Ground Master 60 radar and innovative engagement control station (ECS). The ECS is an innovative and scalable command and control solution that enhances significantly the operational capabilities and killing probabilities of an air defence platoon. It optimises engagement against conventional and asymmetric threats and ensures an optimal pairing between air defence weapon systems and threatening targets, avoiding overkill, under kill and fratricide fire.

The Thales air defence extended solution (ADES) is the Thales latest mobile air defence system designed to provide manoeuvring forces with a highly effective air defence umbrella against airborne threats. ADES is integrated on a tracked or wheeled chassis with the poweroperated turret equipped with the GM 60, 3D E/F band surveillance radar, 3D I/J band tracking radar and stabilised optronics package.

The company’s gun system is a multi-role and mobile weapon system equipped with a powerful 40mm gun, which employs the cased telescoped ammunition and provides protection against air and ground threats.

SAMP/T, the medium-range ground-based air defence system has been developed by EUROSAM, a joint venture between Thales and MBDA. It is a theatre anti-missile system designed to protect the battlefield and sensitive tactical sites against all current and future airborne threats, including cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aircraft and tactical ballistic missiles in the 600 km range.

The company’s missiles range include; innovative missiles for short-range and tactical arenas. Through its subsidiaries, TDA in France and Forges de Zeebrugge (FZ) in Belgium, Thales has delivered 10 million rockets in the last 40 years. The company is now building the precision rockets in the range of 60mm and 70mm and at Defexpo, we can see FZ’s laser guided rocket of the 70mm calibre already selected to equip the advanced light helicopter with 70mm rockets systems. Duport also spoke about its lightweight multi-role missile system.