Optronics for a dangerous new age: technology and production at scale

As Europe moves to expand its military capabilities, the defence industry faces the challenge of rapidly scaling production of sophisticated equipment. For Thales, a pioneer and world market leader in optronics, this means not only meeting unprecedented demand but maintaining the exacting standards required for equipment that soldiers depend on in combat.

The rigours of manufacturing optronic equipment

Manufacturing optronic equipment requires extreme optical precision combined with semiconductor-grade clean-room facilities, because even microscopic dust or contamination can permanently degrade performance and compromise a mission. For military equipment, tolerances are also exceptionally tight, and the entire system must be ruggedised to survive shock, vibration and environmental extremes without adding weight or reducing image quality. As a result, manufacturing optronic equipment is highly demanding and difficult to replicate. 

Historically, most of Thales's optronics design, testing and production operations have been located at its centre of excellence for soldier optronics in France. The site is currently undergoing a major expansion, and the Group is also taking steps to ramp up production in some of its other countries of operation in Europe and beyond.

XTRAIM: the all-in-one weapon sight

Building on six years of operational feedback, the revolutionary XTRAIM day/night weapon sight is based on Thales's patented thermal reflex sight concept. This combat-proven system is compatible with all individual shoulder-fired weapons including assault rifles and light machine guns. Outstandingly robust and reliable and offering the lowest power consumption on the market, it combines unmatched optical performance with innovative sensor fusion technology to reveal camouflaged or concealed targets in daylight and at night. 

More than 4,000 units have been produced since XTRAIM entered full-scale production in 2025. Thales expects to manufacture twice that number in 2026 and to quadruple output from 2027, meeting orders for 16,000 units already received from 14 customers in 11 countries. 

A brand-new production line drawing on Industry 4.0 concepts has been set up in France to meet burgeoning demand. Skilled technicians have been hired and trained, and production has been fully optimised, with extensive use of digital processes, automation and production robots. To secure the supply chain, Thales has worked with all its external suppliers and internal teams to ensure they can deliver the necessary materials and components on-time, on-quality and in the quantities required.

Preferred supplier of night vision goggles

Thales's comprehensive NightRise family of goggles includes the ultra-light NELLIE binoculars for regular forces as well as the high-performance Bonie-HP for special operations units. With its advanced ergonomics and extra-wide 47° field of view, NELLIE is highly effective for long-duration operation, while Bonie-HP is the ideal solution for operations in low-light conditions and on the darkest nights. 

More than 120,000 Thales night vision goggles have been sold in 55 countries to date, with 60,000 now in service with French forces alone. A total of 22,500 NELLIE units have been sold and 8,500 are already in service with the French forces. The Group is currently engaged in a major ramp-up of production capacity to meet current and future demand.

Sophie and GO12: a fully integrated ground surveillance solution

The Sophie family of infrared binoculars is designed for platoon leaders and specialised forces units, with more than 16,500 units sold in 55 countries. Associated with Thales's Ground Observer 12 ground surveillance radar, Sophie is part of an end-to-end integrated surveillance and target identification system for land forces missions. 

GO12 is the most compact, lightweight manpack radar in its class, providing high-resolution target acquisition for slow and fast-moving targets on or close to the ground, as well as precise indirect fire adjustment. Combined with the Sophie infrared binoculars for threat identification and geolocation, it is the ideal high-mobility solution for 24/7 perimeter surveillance, stand-off reconnaissance and forward observer missions.

Maximising operational readiness through advanced maintenance

While customers can perform certain routine maintenance operations themselves, advanced operations such as recalibrating weapon sights or recharging cryogenic coolers typically require the specific technical expertise of the original equipment manufacturer. Thales has decades of experience in maintenance and support of this high-tech equipment. 

The Group offers a complete service portfolio including repair and maintenance, operation support and personnel training. Mobile clean rooms and test benches ensure that maintenance can be performed where needed, while a projectable, cybersecure solution for repairs and maintenance in the field guarantees the best rate of operational equipment availability. In several countries, Thales has successfully transferred maintenance operations to customers and now provides the ongoing assistance they need to sustain their capabilities over the long term. 

The Group recently opened a state-of-the-art optronics maintenance centre in Germany to meet increased demand from the German Army and other European customers. As demand for land optronic equipment increases, expanding these services will be an integral part of the industrial ramp-up currently underway.

Engineering excellence for strategic autonomy

A unique combination of technological sophistication, manufacturing expertise and comprehensive support capabilities has made Thales a European champion in optronics. As Europe works to strengthen its strategic autonomy, the ability to produce and maintain cutting-edge equipment at scale will be essential. With its technological leadership and extensive European industrial footprint, Thales is taking proactive steps to meet this challenge and help ensure the continent's defence readiness.