Circularity for the defence industry

Sustainability at Thales

Type Insight
Published 21 Aug 2025

We are engaging with our customers as part of our shift to circular practices across all our Global Business Units, and with practical input from the teams involved in manufacturing, repairing, refurbishing and remanufacturing electrical and electronic equipment. Discover some of our initiatives for more circularity in the defence industry.

Green Services

Thales's Green Services initiative for defence customers focuses on optimising the environmental performance of products throughout their life cycle. In 2024, the Group dismantled 40 aircraft pods for a European customer – a process that involved handling a complex mix of materials – as part of its broader end-of-life dismantling and recycling offering. Two of the recycled pods are now on display in a museum.

In certain cases, Thales also buys back equipment from customers. For instance, the company recently recovered and refurbished SOPHIE multi-function thermal imaging cameras, giving them a second lease of life.

More about pods recycling at Thales

Our solutions are virtuous in more ways than one: they help to extend the lifespan of our products and reduce their environmental impact, while also meeting the material and operational needs of our customers well into the future.

Paul Welti - Vice President Strategy and Marketing, Secure Communications and Information Systems

ABSOLU contract with the French armed forces

In March 2025, Thales won the ABSOLU operational support and logistics contract – the first agreement of its kind for the French armed forces in terms of its scale and format.

It will ultimately consolidate numerous separate support contracts for Thales land-based equipment and simulation systems, drawing on the Group’s capabilities in reuse, sorting and recycling to extend equipment lifetimes and maintain a dependable supply of critical components.

More about the ABSOLU contract

Reusing sonar components

Under the NewCore programme, Thales is upgrading certain types of military sonars by reusing as many existing parts and components as possible, including arrays, electronic racks, user consoles and cables.

This approach cuts down on waste, reduces resource use and CO2 emissions, and offers substantial cost savings compared with the purchase of a new sonar.