Thales awarded Ballistic Missile Defence test and integration subcontract
Key points:
- Integrated test bed relies on Thales鈥檚 vast experience in naval defence systems and knowledge of long-range sensor technology.
- International team led by Leidos to support NATO BMD capability
- Reinforcement of Thales鈥檚 leading position in BMD technology.
Under the contract, US-based Leidos and its eight teammates from Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Turkey, the UK, and the US, will support NATO鈥檚 BMD programme by working together as an integrated product team to deliver BMD capability.
In this scope, Thales will perform the testing and integration activities required for the verification of the NATO BMD architecture. The team is responsible for the design, development and test of the interfaces with NATO鈥檚 and national weapons and sensors. The Integrated Test Bed relies on Thales鈥檚 vast experience with naval defence systems and knowledge of long-range sensor technology.
The contract has a duration of four years with options for extension. It is a follow-on to the Active Layer Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence contract.
This contract reinforces Thales鈥檚 activities in ballistic missile defence. The first success in this field came in 2006 with the modified Thales SMART-L volume search radar tested on board of HNLMS Tromp. The radar tracked a ballistic missile from moments after being launched and provided a real-time uplink of the missile鈥檚 trajectory.
鈥淲e have reached this important milestone together with our partners and see this as an appreciation of our efforts in the field of ballistic missile defence technology for more than a decade.鈥
John Alfrink, Thales VP in charge of Above Water Systems activities
In 2014, Thales was awarded contracts to update the four SMART-L radars on board of the Royal Netherlands Navy鈥檚 鈥淒e Zeven Provinci毛n鈥 class vessels. This update will give the radars true BMD capabilities. The Royal Netherlands Air Force ordered two such radars for surveillance of the national air space. The radars will be installed on towers in two locations of the country.
In October this year, the At Sea Demo organized by the Maritime Theatre Missile Defence (MTMD) Forum demonstrated that Thales鈥檚 sensor technology is capable to detect and track extra-terrestrial objects and provide a cue to the NATO BMD organization for the elimination of the threat.