By: Suman Sharma
European defence giant-Thales will showcase its cutting-edge technologies across the defence and aerospace sectors at the 15th edition of Aero India 2025, highlighting the Group’s commitment to ‘Make in India for India and for the world’, aligned with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision.
For the first time in India, Thales will showcase its innovation in avionics through the FlytX suite for helicopters, in advanced aeronautics navigation systems such as TopAxyz, TopShield and TopStar M. Connectivity solutions such as SYNAPS-A, the airborne member of the SYNAPS software-defined radio family designed to support battlespace digitisation, Modem 21 Air Compact, and the NextW@ve TRA 6030 radio, will also be brought to Aero India this year.
As a leader in the fast-growing market of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Thales will provide an overview of its portfolio of drone solutions, including its EagleShield drone countermeasures (an integrated nano, micro, mini and small drone countermeasures solution to protect and secure civil and military sites); the PARADE system that provides 360 degree protection of people, properties and activities, optimised for micro and mini UAS, ranging from 25kg to 100g and Gamekeeper (a holographic radar that allows detection, tracking and classification of unlimited targets simultaneously including micro and mini drones), in addition to its safe and efficient UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) system for cooperative and non-cooperative drones, to be unveiled for the first time in India.
Thales will also present its LGR 68 and LGR 70 Laser Guided Rockets that come with laser guidance precision, are jamming-proof and are extremely precise for guiding ammunition to target.
Some of the products, Thales boasts of are state-of-the-art equipment on board fighter aircraft, including the RBE2 AESA radar, the Spectra electronic warfare suite, optronics, the communication, navigation and identification suite (CNI), key cockpit display systems and a logistics support component.
The avionics leader will also highlight its combat-proven airborne optronics, including TALIOS (Targeting Long-range Identification Optronic System) pod, the 2-in-1 system that delivers unmatched image quality, and the InfraRed Search and Track (IRST) system. Also on display will be Thales’s air defence solutions such as the Lightweight Multi-role Missile (LMM), the STARStreak missile and ForceShield, alongside air surveillance capabilities such as the GM 200 MM/A radar and the SkyView air command and control system.
As part of its underwater solutions for efficient Maritime Security Operations, Thales will feature its Sonoflash sonobuoy, an anti-submarine warfare system that allows the detection, classification and localisation of submarines. It will also showcase the AirMaster C radar- the latest addition to its Air Master range of airborne surveillance radars -that is highly adaptable and can be integrated into both manned and unmanned airborne platforms.
AI Systems
Thales is a major AI player in these complex environments. The company is Europe’s top patent applicant in the field and devotes a lot of effort to research on AI, both in-house and through academic and industry partnerships. The Group provides armed forces with greater efficiency in data analysis and decision-making, while taking into account the specific constraints, such as cybersecurity, embeddability and frugality, associated with critical environments. On display will be how Thales embarked AI on its solutions such as TALIOS or AirMaster C radar.
“As India progresses towards its Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, Thales is proud to be a trusted partner in the nation’s ambitious journey. We remain committed to ‘Make in India’ and are advancing our roadmap by strengthening our local teams, collaborations and bringing advanced defence and aerospace technologies to the country. We look forward to continue equipping the Indian armed forces with the next generation of innovative and effective solutions to support their strategic defence ambitions. Aero India 2025 will serve as a key platform for us to present our flagship capabilities and engage with the authorities, forces and our industry partners.” said Pascale Sourisse, President & CEO, Thales International.
Thales Partners Airbus in New Study Contract For French A321 MPA
The French Defence Procurement Agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) has signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space as prime contractor, in partnership with Thales, for a risk-assessment study of its future maritime patrol aircraft programme-the A321 MPA. This 24-month contract follows on from the architecture and feasibility study launched at the end of 2022.
“The A321 MPA (Maritime Patrol Aircraft) has all the assets to become a true flying frigate capable of responding to the wide range of missions entrusted to the French maritime patrol,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Executive Vice President, Head of Air Power at Airbus Defence and Space. “Airbus offers a sovereign solution that provides the autonomy, availability and reliability required to contribute to the oceanic component of the nuclear deterrence.”
The aim of this new definition study and risk-assessment contract is to prepare for the development and production launch of the maritime patrol aircraft programme at the end of 2026. This study will enable the initial results of the architecture study to be taken further, in order to refine the economic and industrial conditions for carrying out the programme, to guide the technical choices of the systems to be integrated on the aircraft, and to carry out the first wind-tunnel tests.
The A321 MPA is a militarised version of the Airbus A321XLR, designed to meet all the operational requirements of the French Navy, mainly in anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, from low to high intensity, as well as intelligence gathering. The aim is to have a new aircraft to replace the fleet of Atlantique-2 operated by the French Navy from the Lann-Bihoué (France) naval air base by the 2030-2040 timeframe.
The A321 MPA will have a long-range and high-manoeuvrability capability, including at low altitude. The aircraft will be equipped with a full range of sensors specific to maritime patrol aircraft, to which Thales is a major contributor: latest-generation radar with active antennas; an acoustic system using passive and active sonar buoys; electronic and electro-optical warfare systems; magnetic anomaly detection (MAD), and self-protection systems.
It will also carry communications systems, including satellite communications, as well as the weapons needed for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, comprising torpedoes and the future anti-ship missile (FMAN). The aircraft’s large cargo bay and the open architecture of its mission system give it a great capacity to evolve throughout its lifecycle to meet the emergence of new threats.
The extraordinary success of the A320 family – the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft with more than 10,000 aircraft in service and more than 300 million flight hours – ensures that the A321 MPA has long proven availability, reliability and low maintenance costs.
Airbus Defence and Space has long experience in converting commercial aircraft into military aircraft, culminating in the success of the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) , which has more than 90 percent of the world market (excluding the United States). The company also has extensive expertise in the integration of sensors and mission systems on the P3, C295 and CN235 aircraft, with more than 170 aircraft in service in various maritime patrol and surveillance configurations.
