Interview | Vice president and country director–India, Thales, Emmanuel de Roquefeuil

‘We believe PHAROS will be a great asset and will significantly add to the fire control capabilities of the Indian armed forces and also customers worldwide’

Emmanuel de RoquefeuilThales signed a MoU with BDL for ToT of STARStreak missile capability to India. What can you tell us about this project?

Thales and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during Aero India 2017 to assess the opportunity for the transfer of technology (ToT) of the STARStreak missile capability to India with the support of the government of the United Kingdom (UK). Through this MoU, Thales and BDL seek to jointly offer a ‘Make in India’ solution to help service growing international demand for this product.

The STARStreak missile relies on unique, leading-edge technology for its efficacy. The purpose of the MoU is to fully explore how we can create a business case and an operational plan to enable elements of this technology to be effectively transferred to BDL. The MoU is the trigger for us to start this very exciting project together.

This common development will strengthen the cooperation of Thales and BDL in the field of very innovative technologies.

 

What radar solutions will you be providing to the Indian armed services across platforms?

Coastal and littoral operations and border protection missions are growing in importance today, driving demand for more effective maritime, ground and air surveillance capabilities. Specifically, the ability to detect and track smart, high-speed, highly manoeuvring targets in all sea states, locate vehicles along extensive borders and fight traffickers using light aircraft has become a priority for armed forces and security agencies as they adapt their missions to a constantly changing threat environment. Airborne surveillance radars help them to meet these growing needs.

Thales has been developing, manufacturing and providing best-in-class sensors for various platforms for customers worldwide for more than 50 years. Thales’s contracts with the Indian ministry of defence (MoD) for such sensors include air defence radar FLYCATCHER Mk1, Low Level Transportable Radars GS100 and long-range surveillance radar DA04 and LW08, among others. Also, the main sensor on board the Rafale is the new generation Thales AESA RBE2 radar that takes combat system performance to a new level.

We would continue to support the Indian armed forces and facilitate its goals of self-reliance in defence equipment and modernisation including the next level of radar systems. Thales looks forward to providing upgraded and tech advanced systems to the defence forces.

 




 

Thales and BEL signed a partnership agreement for the joint development of the PHAROS fire control radar in 2016. What is the status of the project?

In March 2016, Thales and BEL-Thales Systems Limited (BTSL) signed a partnership agreement for the joint development of the PHAROS fire control radar that will cater to both domestic Indian and international market requirements. The responsibility of overall system design is borne by Thales. BTSL is responsible for developing the mechanical design and radar processing modifications while Thales is responsible for the design and production of the radar antenna. This co-development agreement is in line with the ‘Make in India’ vision of the Indian authorities. The PHAROS project is on track and has successfully met the set timelines.

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