About Thales Group and Thales Avionics

Thales Group (previously Thomson CSF) is a French company with a multinational presence. They are a defense contractor and electronics manufacturer for the Aerospace, Ground Transportation, and Defense and Security industries. Their main customers include airlines, aircraft manufacturers, armed forces, telecommunications operators, satellite operators, major corporations, and others. Their business segments are divided into the Aerospace segment, Transport segment, and Defense and Security segment. 

Avionics Collaborations

Thales has collaborated with Bell Helicopter, Boeing, China Southern Airlines, and Dassault on various aircraft avionics platforms. They are also providing imaging and microwave subsystems for multifunction radar systems of South Korea KM-SAM, and GEOSAT satellite systems in India. Thales is also known for its In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) platforms and maintains maintenance supply contracts with various airlines including American Airlines, Air Canada, JetBlue, and others. Thales provides onboard avionics to Airbus, ATR, Boeing, Bombardier, and more.

Defense and Security

Thales Group is a major contractor for global defense and security platforms with air, land, naval, and joint force applications. They are contracted to supply the C4ISTAR systems for NATO, flight management systems for 6 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Support), the Dassault Rafale multi-role aircraft, and others. In addition, Thales Group products are integrated in the programs of the following aircraft: Airbus A400m, Boeing Chinook, Embraer KC390, and Sikorsky Blackhawk. Thales Raytheon Systems(TRS), a trans-national collaboration, provides command and control systems for combat air operations. The primary annual revenue (55%)  of Thales Group is provided through government defense contracts. Thales avionics systems serve the following defense and security applications: communications, command and control systems, networks and infrastructure systems, security and cybersecurity, sensors and mission systems.

Avionics Products and Platforms

Commercial and General Aviation

Thales Group avionics product portfolio encompasses equipment and systems for flight guidance, flight management, communications, navigation, and surveillance applications. These include electronic platforms for flight control systems, flight deck systems, support services, passenger experience systems, flight simulation platforms, electrical power generation, and imaging systems.

** The following list does not describe a comprehensive survey of products, platforms, and services offered by Thales Group.

           Autopilot Systems

Software; Control Panels; Auto Throttle Assembly; Actuators; Probes and Sensors; Computing  Devices; Autopilot LNAV, LNAV/VNAV, RNP-AR 0.3, LPV, GLS

           Communications

ARINC 664 switched data ethernet network, data link, radio communications, integrated electronic standby instrument

Connectivity

SATCOM

Electrical Systems

Electrical power generation system (EPGS), electrical power conversion system (EPCS)

Flight Control

Spoiler and elevator computers, flight augmentation computers, flight management computers,  flight guidance control panel (FGCP), multi-purpose control & display unit, liquid crystal display unit

Cockpit Systems

Airport navigation function (ANF), control and display systems (CDS), head-up display (HUD), On-board navigation system (OANS), brake pressure indicator(BPI), and others.

Flight Guidance

Auto flight control system (AFC), flight guidance control panel (FGCP),  flight warning system (FWS), air data and smart probes, flight and voice recorders

Navigation

Accelerometer units, attitude and heading reference system, air data unit (ADU), air data and inertial reference unit (ADIRU), GPS, integrated standby instrument (ISIS), integrated electronic standby instrument (IESI), Slats & flaps control system(SFCS), standby navigation systems (SNS), digital radio altimeters (DRA)

Surveillance

Radio altimeter (RA), terrain and traffic collision system (T2CAS), weather radar integration (WXR), integrated will electronic standby system (IESI), 

Defense & Security

Thales provides avionics systems to international air, land, naval and joint forces. Their product portfolio primarily serves the following capabilities: communications, command and control systems, flight control, mission services and support, navigation, protection and mission systems, surveillance, detection and intelligence systems, and simulation systems.

** The following does not describe a comprehensive list of products, platforms, and services offered by Thales Group.

Command and Control Centres

AirC2, digital aeronautical flight information files (DAFIF), tactical data links

Communications

Digital bispectral sensors, Tactical VHF (FF, EPM); VHF ATC, VHF Maritime; UHF (FF, EPM);

Tactical data links; link 16, link 11/22, link x/x16, VMF, VHF TDL

Mission and Surveillance Systems

AIS, FLIR, GMTI sensors, HSS equipped surveillance radar, ISAR equipped surveillance radar, SAR MTI sensors, SATCOM

Onboard Electronics

I-FMS; multi sensor location devices, navigation, tactical capabilities, TopDeck; crystal HUD, laser gyro/GPS navigation, integrated standby electronics instrument (IESI), TopOwl; sight and display system

           Optronics

Airborne observation system, enhanced vision system (EVS), front sector optronics (FSO), multicolor Infrared alerting sensor, multifunction targeting pod, and others.

Radars & Sensors

Active electronically scanned array (AESA), airborne multi-role surveillance radar, air defense radar, doppler radar, multi-mission radar, short range air defense radar, very short-range air defense radar, UAV operations

Simulation

Full flight simulator (FFS), flat panel training device                     

Competitors

BAE Systems, Collins Aerospace, Eaton, Raytheon, Safran