Defense Technology International - October 2007 - (Page 62) Q&A ON THE RECORD MASTER PLAN Thales Air Systems specializes in surface-based radar and control equipment. In air tra c management and control, the company, a division of the Thales Group, supplies a range of technology including management and control centers, primary and secondary radars and navigation aids. About 70% of the division’s business is in defense, where it supplies surface radars for land and naval applications, air defense missile systems, and air defense and air operations command and control centers and systems, this last Defense Technology International: Why is Thales investing in a new generation of surveillance radars? De Juniac: In the last several years, Thales was doing all right in naval radars, with promising new product lines such as the Herakles S-band multifunction radar and the Smart-S Mk 2 S-band surveillance radar. On the land side, however, we found that it was necessary to take decisive action—we were simply not competitive enough. We were losing key bids, including the NATO program for new air-defense radars in Central Europe, to our key competitors Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Selex Sistemi Integrati. We were being beaten, particularly in price, and in not being compliant enough in meeting an increasing customer requirement for continuous surveillance operations. Our legacy Master family of land-based air defense radars was designed some time ago and we needed to make a leap forward. At the same time we needed to create more synergies within Thales Air Systems between our surface radar activities in France and the Netherlands. In France, we have consolidated radar design, development, manufacturing, systems integration and testing in Limours, south of Paris. This site has expanded from about 20 people to more than 300 in a few years. At a second site, in Rouen, we have concentrated production of solid-state power modules (transmitter components) for our radars. Hengelo in the Netherlands is our other main center of radar expertise. In the past, surface-radar companies within Thales were not always cooperating in the best possible way—in fact in some 62 through the ThalesRaytheonSystems joint venture with Raytheon. Major programs include the NATO Air Command and Control System, French SCCOA system and U.S. Air Force Battle Control System. In radar, Thales Air recently launched a major multi-year investment program aimed at rejuvenating its surface product line and technology base. Alexandre de Juniac, senior vice president and division head, met on Sept. 4 with DTI Senior European Editor Joris Janssen Lok to discuss the business and his goals. we’re starting to use components from the telecom industry that are produced by the millions. Another measure is a move to fiberoptic wire for data transmission in place of copper wire. We managed to reduce the weight of the Ground Master antenna unit by 700 kg. (1,540 lb.) this way. Overall, we achieved our goals to reduce cost and improve reliability. programs they were competing against each other. Given our market situation, we desperately needed to make sure we would be getting the best from both the Dutch and the French activities, instead of a useless rivalry. How did you approach this issue and what did you set out to achieve in radar development? We worked hard to integrate the surface-radar business and to create common platforms for future radar products. Today, naval radar programs are led from Hengelo and land-based programs from Limours, with a third executive responsible for platform commonality. Hengelo and Limours complement each other, with the Dutch side excelling in antenna technology, mechanical design and overall systems design, and the French side providing know-how in signal processing and production of radio-frequency power modules. The idea we adopted was to decrease our cost by a factor of two and to increase the reliability of our radars by a factor of 10. We achieved this with the new Master family, with which we are making a jump of two generations in order to be at least one generation ahead of our competitors. We decided on a product policy based on common building blocks. We standardized common components—hardware and software—across the Thales radar line. For example, we no longer use a different drive for each type of radar. We adopted open-standard commercial electronics, like using PC-based hardware for all our processing. We moved from liquid to air cooling, which greatly simplifies antenna design and reduces weight. And ALEXANDRE DE JUNIAC Senior Vice President, Thales Air Systems Age: 44 Birthplace: Neuilly-sur-Seine, France (close to Thales headquarters). Education: Graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration in France. Background: Broad experience in engineering and public administration. Sits on France’s Conseil d’Etat, and spent a number of years in the office of the budget minister. Joined Thomson S.A. in 1995 as vice president of planning and development. In March 1999, de Juniac was named corporate secretary. Left in 2004 to head Thales Air Systems. Married, with three children. In his spare time he is an avid sailor and rock-and-roll enthusiast, playing piano and other musical instruments. DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2007 www.aviationweek.com/dti http://www.aviationweek.com/dti
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