Thales Optronics is a
optronics
Optoelectronics (or optronics) is the study and application of electronic devices and systems that find, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics. In this context, ''light'' often includes invisible forms of radiatio ...
manufacturer and a
division of the French defence corporation
Thales Group. It is headquartered in
Paris. The company has three main subsidiaries: Thales Optronique SA in
France, Thales Optronics Limited in the
United Kingdom and Thales Optronics B.V in the
Netherlands.
History
France
United Kingdom
Thales' optronics businesses in the UK trace their origins to Pilkington Optronics, which was formed by
Pilkington plc in 1988 to take control of the company's optronics businesses: Pilkington PE located in North Wales (formed in 1966) and
Barr and Stroud
Barr & Stroud Limited was a pioneering Glasgow optical engineering firm. They played a leading role in the development of modern optics, including rangefinders, for the Royal Navy and for other branches of British Armed Forces during the 20th ce ...
, which was based in
Glasgow. Pilkington PE later became Thales Optics Ltd., which was divested from Thales in December 2005 as Qioptiq Ltd.
In 1991 Thomson-CSF acquired 50% of Pilkington Optronics. In 1995 Pilkington Optronics acquired
Thorn EMI Electro Optics which was renamed Pilkington Thorn Optronics. Three years later, Thomson-CSF purchased another 40% of Pilkington Optronics 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. Soon after, Thomson-CSF acquired
W Vinten Ltd
W, or w, is the twenty-third and fourth-to-last letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. It represents a consonant, but in some languages it r ...
, a British reconnaissance equipment manufacturer, including the
Joint Reconnaissance Pod
The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (or DJRP) is a wide area tactical reconnaissance pod produced by Thales Optronics of Bury St Edmunds, England. It is the latest version of a pod produced for the UKMoD and the RAF Jaguar force, originally deve ...
.
In November 2006 Thales Optronics Limited announced the closure of its manufacturing facility in Taunton, Somerset, with the loss of 180 jobs. In June 2007 Thales sold the beryllium mirrors and structures business of Thales Optronics Limited to GSI Group Inc. for an undisclosed amount.
Thales Optronics Limited was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in June 2011.
Netherlands
Operations
France
United Kingdom
Thales Optronics Limited has its headquarters and main production facility in
Glasgow, Scotland, where it employs around 630 people.
Its principal activity is the design, development and manufacture of infra-red cameras, laser range-finders, and cameras for use in airborne reconnaissance systems, armoured vehicle sighting systems, submarine periscopes and target locators.
[
In 2011 Thales Optronics Limited generated total revenues of £229 million (2010 – £212 million) and profits of £24.4 million (2010 – £14 million).][
]
Netherlands
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
A laser warning receiver is a type of warning system used as a passive military defence. It detects, analyzes, and locates directions of laser emissionsPDF version4.53 MB) from laser guidance systems and laser rangefinders. Then it alerts the crew ...
**Laser countermeasures
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The firs ...
*Laser range finders
*Sighting systems
*Reconnaissance systems
**Joint Reconnaissance Pod
The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (or DJRP) is a wide area tactical reconnaissance pod produced by Thales Optronics of Bury St Edmunds, England. It is the latest version of a pod produced for the UKMoD and the RAF Jaguar force, originally deve ...
*Submarine Sensor Systems including the latest non-hull penetrating Optronics Mast
A photonics mast (or ''optronics mast''BBC News Scotland, A vision of evolving technologies' 30 August 2007, 13:06 GMT) is a sensor on a submarine which functions similarly to a periscope without requiring a periscope tube, thus freeing design sp ...
s systems, which replace conventional periscopes in some of the most modern submarine classes.
*Electro-optic aircraft reconnaissance pods and image exploitation stations
*AFV Fire Control and Navigation systems
See also
*Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom
The aerospace industry of the United Kingdom is the second-largest national aerospace industry in the world (after the United States) and the largest in Europe by turnover, with a global market share of 17% in 2019. In 2020, the industry employed ...
References
{{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom
Defence companies of France
Defence companies of the United Kingdom
Optics manufacturing companies
Armoured fighting vehicle vision and sighting equipment
Thales Group divisions and subsidiaries