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Thales at the International Paris Air Show

June 8, 2009, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France – At the 2009 International Paris Air Show, Thales will demonstrate its ability:

• To meet 21st century environmental and security challenges by drawing on innovative systems across the aerospace and space domains.

• To provide our customers with capability-driven offerings that cover the full spectrum of their needs, from the conception of systems up to end-of-life, and urgent operational requirements.

The Thales stand will be divided into five principal zones: Civil Aviation, Air Mission Systems, Information Dominance, Force and Homeland Protection, and Space systems.

In addition to the stand, there will be outdoor exhibits such as a full-scale model drone from the UK Watchkeeper programme – for which the company is prime contractor –, a full-scale Ground Master 400 ground-based radar, a prototype of the antenna for the anti-ballistic missile defence radar, M3R/GS 1000, and the PVP (Petit Véhicule Protégé) vehicle equipped with the latest satcom on-the-move solutions.

Civil Aviation

Thales will illustrate its new approach to the cabin through a seat module concept including In-Flight Entertainment, connectivity and cabin lighting. The I-Deck cockpit simulator in A350 configuration, on display for the first time, allows manufacturers and airlines to test different functions – such as the management of large displays and the optimisation of information – in an environment as close to reality as possible. Today Thales is the second supplier on the A350, after the engine manufacturer.

Thales is proud to welcome Sukhoi’s SSJ100, which will be presented for the first time. The Group fits this aircraft out with a full avionics suite of the latest generation, making it in fact the most modern regional aircraft around on the market today.  In the area of Air Traffic Management, Thales will present its latest solutions for traffic optimisation, navigation and surveillance efficiency as well as airport security. Thales’s Eurocat control centres benefit today from the most sophisticated safety nets and control more than 100 Flight Information Regions (FIR) worldwide. This mature and field-proven solution remains the ATM industry standard.

Thales’s cost-effective Airport Solutions allow smaller airports to respond to the capacity and safety challenge and benefit from technologies, services, skills and experience gained at the world’s leading airports.

Thales will also present the ATC Concept Station, developed in collaboration with France’s most recognised design school, the Ecole Boulle. It is a completely ergonomic concept that places air traffic controllers at the centre of the system, going beyond all material constraints.

Air Mission Systems – Thales onboard the Rafale Thales will highlight its outstanding cooperation with Dassault Aviation by featuring models and multimedia displays of systems onboard the Rafale, the leading combat aircraft of its generation. Thales equips the Rafale with unparalleled data fusion processes from its different sensors for increased situation awareness.

These include the AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, Spectra Electronic warfare systems, the Front-Sector Optronics, the Damocles optronic multi function pod, and the AREOS new optronic stand-off recce system. This zone will also demonstrate the latest IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) innovations (mode 5 solutions) as well as the Nextw@ve high bandwidth software radio that allows Rafale planes to maintain permanent information superiority. Information Dominance The area will be organised around three key capabilities: Intelligence gathering: in particular, Thales will illustrate its European UAV leadership through the presentation of a complete range of solutions, from the soldiers’ Spy Arrow UAV to the SDM (Système de Drone MALE) system developed with Dassault Aviation and Indra and based on an IAI Heron TP platform.

The Hermes 450 solution, developed as a complete ISTAR service for the UK Armed Forces, and which has already clocked up over 20,000 flight hours in two theatres, will also be presented. This zone will also feature: Thales’s successful optronics offer (AREOS pod); real time image and data transmission and analysis. Decision superiority: Thales will recreate a full Air Operation Command Center, including intelligence capabilities with the presentation of the latest data fusion/interpretation solutions (STARS). Collaborative Combat: this area will illustrate Thales’s ability to provide innovative and interoperable solutions such as tactical datalinks and reverse IFF capabilities.

Thales will also illustrate its Managed Services approach through the presentation of the latest communication services solutions deployed in Afghanistan for NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Force and Homeland Protection Thales will showcase its latest force protection capabilities, including Maritime Patrol & Surveillance and Spectre, a system demonstrator for land-based force protection that increases the situational awareness of land forces. For ballistic missile defence, Thales is pursuing development of the Ground Smarter 1000, a new radar incorporating the M3R active antenna technology being presented for the first time at the Paris Air Show. The combination of the GS 1000 and the SAMP/T missile system will provide an autonomous ATBM capability for deployment to all theatres of operations.  Thales will also present its latest Lightweight Multi-role Missile (LMM), which has been optimised to take on a wide range of targets on the ground, in the air and at sea

 Another demonstration of the Group’s leadership in command and control systems will be made through ThalesRaytheonSystems’ ACCS LOC 1 Program. NATO Nations from Norway to Turkey will use the same air command and control system, hardware, software, procedures, and training, as well as share all operational data over a high speed communications network. Space Systems Thales is drawing on its consolidated position at this Paris Air Show, where for the first time it will encompass its space capabilities with Thales Alenia Space. Thales Alenia Space has enjoyed a strong industrial activity in 2008 and has participated in 16 missions using all types of launchers. In 2009, the company strengthened its European leadership in space systems with the provision since the beginning of the year of five telecommunication satellites and one telecommunication payload.

At this year’s Paris Air Show, Thales Alenia Space will highlight the way in which space solutions are serving citizens in terms of security, mobile services, climate change and universe exploration. To meet these requirements, the company has developed military or dual use telecommunication and observation systems (both optics and radars), such as Syracuse, Sicral or COSMO-SkyMed, mobiles and localisation services (EGNOS/Galileo); as well as aeronautical communications (SESAR), space technologies for monitoring environmental evolutions (Meteosat, Jason, SMOS…), and unrivalled missions to unlock the secrets of the Universe such as astronomy, robotics or human solar system exploration (COROT, Herschel/Planck, ExoMars…).

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2008, the company generated revenues of 12.7 billion euros with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners. www.thalesgroup.com