Supporting Air Forces in the UK: Thales’ trusted partnership with the Royal Air Force

Thales is a world-leading innovator in aerospace technology and digitalisation. We offer low-risk solutions for military partners – combining proven flight avionics, training and simulation capabilities and defence systems with global cyber security leadership.

Harnessing trusted digital technologies, sensing and weapons to ensure the RAF can ‘fly, fight and win’

As a trusted industry partner, Thales is extremely proud to play our part in supporting the RAF deliver global air and space power to protect our nation.

By harnessing the extraordinary power of digitalisation and technology, we are enabling the RAF to make better, faster decisions than potential adversaries to achieve decision superiority coupled with increased agility, integration and resilience to deliver operating advantage.

Thales will continue to work with the RAF to successfully deliver its Air Operating Concept and core Air Power roles enabled by Air Command and Control:

• Control of the Air
• Attack
• Air Mobility
• Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Helping the RAF be ready for anything

Project Marshall, delivered through Thales and NATS’s joint venture – Aquila, is transforming Air Traffic Management (ATM) services, which is critical to ensuring safe and resilient military flying operations at every MOD-operated airfield in the UK and worldwide, including Cyprus, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.

We are working to deploy ATM services in some of the planet’s most inhospitable environments providing the UK MOD with a geographically dispersed network of sensors, communications and ATM across the UK and overseas territories.

Countering Uncrewed Air Systems, and integrated Air and Missile Defence

The threat from Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) is already significant and rapidly increasing. As a result, there is considerable focus at Thales in countering this growing threat to our Armed Forces.

Our team in Belfast developed and deployed at pace our RAPIDSentry capability to support RAF Counter -UAS (CUAS) operations. This involved the rapid certification, test-firing, and installation of RAPIDSentry systems. RAPIDSentry is just one way we’re helping the RAF achieve control of the air against an increasing UAS threat.

Thales is also exploring how our range of capabilities can contribute to the UK’s wider integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD).

Supporting Air Mobility and Combat Air

Thales in the UK has been training RAF aircrews for over 87 years and has been instrumental in mission preparation and rehearsal for operations across the world.

High G: training for fast jets

Our High G-force training facility demonstrates our dedication and commitment to UK Combat Air.

Developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, the RAF and industry, the facility at RAF Cranwell delivers state-of-the-art, High-G Training and Test Capability for fast-jet pilots to help them recognise the effects of G-force, develop awareness of it, and learn the physical techniques to counter its effects during combat missions.  Ultimately, this helps fast-jet pilots to mitigate the risk from G-forces and to continue to operate effectively.  The facility is also used to trial and test new equipment for use on fast-jet aircraft and by pilots.

Voyager: training for aircraft refuelling missions

The RAF’s Airbus A330 ‘Voyager’ aircraft not only carries personnel, equipment and essential supplies, it also provides air-to-air refuelling – a critical capability that enables the RAF to operate globally with extended reach and time on mission. On an average flight across the Atlantic, Voyager can refuel four fast jets whilst carrying up to five tonnes of cargo.

Voyager is powered by the AirTanker consortium, a joint venture between leading aerospace, defence and facilities management specialists, including Thales, Babcock, Cobham, Airbus Group and Rolls-Royce.

As a partner in the AirTanker consortium and aviation service provider, we deliver the only end-to-end training to RAF pilots and air and ground maintenance crews anywhere in the world.

Atlas (A400M): training for military transport aircraft

Through our purpose-built training school at RAF Brize Norton, we deliver innovative training in collaboration with Airbus, for the RAF’s tactical airlift capability provided by the Atlas A400M – a global air power enabler for the RAF.  Our Atlas (A400M) training school replicates detailed operational environments for this heavyweight transporter.

Air Platform Protection – Next Generation Air Platform Survivability

As part of Team Pellonia – a collaborative national enterprise approach to delivering UK Next Generation Air Survivability (NGAS) solutions – Leonardo UK, UK Ministry of Defence, Thales UK and Chemring Countermeasures will ensure that our Armed Forces’ air platforms have access to the best possible protective equipment while maintaining strategic skills and capabilities onshore.

Collectively, the team represents UK onshore knowledge and capability in the field of air platform protection. Team Pellonia will provide integrated self-protection systems for UK Armed Forces’ platforms, with a mission to ensure that aircraft crews can respond to emerging threats with life-saving speed and agility.

The team are already on contract to deliver protection systems for the RAF’s fleet of Shadow surveillance aircraft and the new Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft. Looking to the future, a number of UK air platforms will be reviewed in the coming years.

The RAF’s new Wedgetail airborne early warning platform will benefit from the Team Pellonia-developed defensive aids system.