THALES OPTRONICS

'Thales Optronics' is a major unit of Thales Group and has three main subsidiaries:

★ 'Thales Optronics Ltd. (UK)'

★ 'Thales Optronique SA (France)'

★ 'Thales Optronics B.V.'

Contents

Thales Optronics Ltd.

Products

Thales Optronics Ltd.

Thales' optronics businesses in the UK are as a result of the acquisition of 'Pilkington Optronics'. Pilkington Optronics was formed by Pilkington plc in 1988 to take control of the company's varied optronics businesses (formerly Pilkington Perkin Elmer/Pilkington PE and Barr and Stroud, Glasgow). Pilkington PE would later become Thales Optics Ltd., and - following divestment from Thales in December 2005 - now trades as Qioptiq Ltd (www.qioptiq.co.uk).
In 1988 Thomson-CSF acquired W Vinten Ltd, a British reconnaissance equipment manufacturer (now Thales Optronics (Bury St Edmunds) Ltd.)
In 1991 Thomson-CSF acquired a 50% share of Pilkington Optronics (PO). In 1995 PO acquired Thorn EMI Electro Optics which was renamed Pilkington Thorn Optronics (now Thales Optronics (Staines) Ltd).

★ In 1998 Thomson-CSF purchased another 40% of PO from Pilkington and the remainder in 2000 to make it a wholly owned subsidiary. In 2000 Thomson-CSF was renamed Thales and Pilkington Optronics Ltd. became 'Thales Optronics Ltd.'

Products

★ Search and track

★
★ PIRATE (Passive Infra Red Airborne Tracking Equipment) for Eurofighter Typhoon

★
★ Rafale FSO/OSF IRST systems

★ IRST systems

★ Self protection systems

★
★ Laser Warning Receivers

★
★ Laser countermeasures

★ Laser range finders

★ Sighting systems

★ Reconnaissance systems

★ Submarine Periscope Systems including the latest non-hull penetrating Optronics Masts systems

★ Electro-optic aircraft reconnaissance pods and image exploitation stations

★ AFV Fire Control and Navigation systems