Thales Group secures Bolivian airspace with historic contract

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Thales Group signed an agreement with the Bolivian Ministry of Defense and other European government officials to modernize Bolivia's civil and military airspace.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony held at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Bolivian President Evo Morales and French President Francois Hollande were present as the officials penned the nearly $200 million contract to Thales for integrated air defense and civil air traffic management systems in Bolivia.

Under the contract, Thales will supply a total of 13 radars to the Bolivian government, including four air defense radars, one Star2000 surveillance radar, two TRAC approach radars and six RSM 970 secondary radars. Thales officials say the radars will boost the country's surveillance infrastructure.

"It is an honor for us to become a partner to Bolivia, as part of their historic airspace modernization program," Thales Group Chairman and CEO Patrice Caine said in a statement. "Leveraging technologies between civil and military domains is part of Thales' DNA. The Thales Group is delighted to have been chosen by Bolivia to work with them to enhance the safety and security of their nation's critical infrastructure."

Thales is a leading provider of air traffic management systems. In addition to providing the hardware for their radar contract, the company will also integrate and manage all communication systems necessary for the operations.