Thales increasing aircraft system support

• Tweet

PARIS, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Thales has received a 10-year contract from France for through-life support of Thales systems used on Rafale aircraft used by the air force and navy.

The award renews a current through-life support contract. Thales said it also ensures closer cooperation between Thales and operational personnel to guarantee the operational availability of the aircraft.

Covered under the order are the radar, electronic warfare system, avionics, optronics and communication systems installed on the Rafales.

Thales said to meet broader requirements it will streamline the equipment repair processes and also "deploy technical and logistics advisers to work directly with users on French military bases."

"Thales is particularly proud to have been awarded this new contract, which we see as a sign of renewed confidence in a trusted partner and an endorsement of our continuing commitment to drive efficiency gains in aeronautical equipment support," said Merry Michaux, vice president, military aerospace customer support and services managing director at Thales. "The innovative concepts and collaborative working methods that we are putting in place on military bases and shared platforms will make a significant contribution to optimizing availability of the Rafale fleet and bringing down the aircraft's cost per flying hour."

The monetary value of the contract was not disclosed.