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The new ‘Swift2Move' application meets the UK MoD's Air Movements Operation (AMO) requirement to give movements staff the ability to manage passenger and freight bookings, flight check-in and aircraft loadsheet calculations in both the UK and at any operational location around the world. 

"Thanks to the Thales solution for our Air Movements Operations requirement we have an application that combines an easy to use system from the commercial world with the robustness and security needed for operating in a military environment," says Air Vice-Marshal Matthew Wiles, Director General Joint Supply Chain in the Defence Equipment & Support Organisation (DE&S).

"The Thales solution provides a step change in capability for defence by enabling a real-time, common picture air logistics solution from the foxhole to HQ," he adds.

The AMO contract is valued in excess of £27 million over 10 years, including application support and training package provision, and will be in service by mid-2009.

Thales has partnered with sub-contractors Fujitsu Services and Mastek to develop a number of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) packages, ranging from aircraft scheduling and passenger and freight management software, to aircraft weight and balance, which Thales has upgraded and then coupled together under a common user interface to provide a fully integrated modern air movements management system. 

"A partnering approach to the AMO solution between Thales, Fujitsu Services and Mastek has enabled the UK MoD to benefit from a COTS approach to technology and service without compromising security nor intellectual property," says Peter Batley, Managing Director for Thales' Security Solutions & Services business in the UK.

"It is a very good example of Thales using its civil and military expertise to provide fast and cost-effective solutions. And in the case of Swift2Move, the application can
be scaled up for tri-service logistics and is also applicable for government agencies,"
he adds.

Swift2Move is designed to operate on the MoD's Defence Information Infrastructure (DII), reducing the reliance on fixed commercial communications networks and ensuring system availability in all locations and situations. It will be one of the first major applications to be hosted on this service.

The system will interface with existing MoD logistics systems, providing information on the status and location of airfreight during its transit. The system has been designed to allow future asset tracking enhancements, for example asset tracking across the whole supply chain from depot to trench.

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About Thales and Thales UK
Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide. Thales' leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. To this end, the group's civil and military businesses develop in parallel and share a common base of technologies to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. The group builds its growth on its unique multi-domestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with national customers and market players, while leveraging its global expertise to support local technology and industrial development. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2007 revenues in excess of £8.3 bn.

Thales UK employs 9,000 staff based at more than 50 locations. In 2007 Thales UK's revenues were over £1 bn.

Press contact:
Thales UK
Kathryn Bell
Tel: +44 1932 824832
Mob: +44 7813 903274
Email: kathryn.bell@thalesgroup.com