Supporting Naval Forces in the UK: Thales’ trusted role at sea

As a strategic partner to the Royal Navy and navies worldwide, Thales delivers advanced maritime technologies that guarantee cognitive superiority.

With over a century of experience in the UK, Thales designs, manufactures, integrates, and supports systems for ships, submarines, and uncrewed platforms.

Our expertise spans sonar, optronics, radar, electronic warfare, autonomous systems, communications, combat management systems, weapons and AI-enabled decision support systems — all backed by significant investments in R&D and engineering, manufacturing and support facilities that cover the breadth of the UK.

Through long-term programmes like MCCS and MSET, Thales ensures capability remains modern, resilient and in the hands of those who need it most.

Over 50 navies across the globe trust Thales to deliver world-class solutions at every stage of the loop (sense-decide-effect-enable) — ensuring operational advantage and reducing risk.

We leverage decades of expertise across critical mission threads, supporting our customers' ambitions around interoperability, interoperability, and future readiness: 

• Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD): Providing the ability to "defeat all threats", through the most advanced, ITAR-free technologies (CMS, Multi-Function Radar, Surveillance & Fire Control systems)
• Anti-submarine warfare: Exploiting advanced sensors (sonar, integrated combat system mast) and uncrewed systems for mastery of the underwater domain
• Mine warfare: Providing world-beating conventional and non- conventional MW solutions, from industry-leading sonar, to the world's first autonomous, end-to-end minehunting solution (MMCM) - keeping shipping lanes open, and global trade safe.
• Precision strike: Delivering precise, first-time strikes via a vast portfolio - from Lightweight Multirole Missiles to Directed Energy Weapons to One-Way Effectors
• Control of the electro-magnetic spectrum: Creating advanced electronic warfare systems to detect threats and protect military assets at sea
• C4I Dominance: Engineering theatre-level C2, communications and intelligence systems that shape the battlespace and are the cornerstone of network centric operations

From carriers to submarines, our solutions are embedded wherever navies operate.

Over 500 naval platforms use Thales systems to unify mission-critical technology — from sea to screen — for a single task force view. We upgrade legacy systems, future-proof platforms, and support distributed operations through spiral upgrades and complex systems integration.

Our solutions will drive the implementation of Naval Collaborative Combat — the future of connected maritime warfare:

• Uncrewed system of systems: Pioneering the use of networked, AI-enabled uncrewed systems, by sea and in the air.
• Integrated Sensing Solutions: Merging sensors, AI and weapon systems to expand situational awareness and reduce operator workload.
• Operational experimentation: Testing innovative capabilities through real-life operational scenarios

For over a century, we’ve been the Royal Navy’s eyes and ears. Our deep R&D investment keeps us at the forefront of maritime defence.

We bring together solutions from across the breadth of our organisation to unlock the benefits of next-gen tech such as AI, machine learning, edge computing, and quantum - turning data into intelligence to maximise current capabilities, whilst exploring future opportunities to help our forces remain agile, resilient, and mission ready.