Thales Air Defence
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defence |
| Predecessor | Shorts Missile Systems |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Bombardier, Thomson-CSF (joint venture) |
| Headquarters | Belfast , Northern Ireland |
Area served | Worldwide (56 military organizations) |
| Products | NLAW, Javelin, Starstreak, Hellfire, Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) |
Number of employees | 492 |
| Parent | Thales Group |
Thales Air Defence Limited (TADL), previously known as Shorts Missile Systems (SMS), is a defence supplier located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a focus on short-range air defence missile systems.
Originally established in 1993 as a partnership between Shorts' parent company Bombardier and Thomson-CSF, Shorts Missile Systems transitioned to full ownership by Thomson-CSF in 2000. That same year, Thomson-CSF rebranded itself as Thales Group. Subsequently, in 2001, Shorts Missile Systems was renamed Thales Air Defence Limited.
TADL's missile solutions are utilized by 56 military organizations worldwide. The company employs around 492 staff members within Northern Ireland and maintains a separate site in rural County Down dedicated to missile testing and storage.
History
The missile division of Short Brothers was founded in 1952. This division evolved into the joint venture Shorts Missile Systems in 1993, formed by Bombardier and Thomson-CSF. Full ownership was acquired by Thomson-CSF in 2000, coinciding with its corporate rebranding to Thales Group. Following this change, Shorts Missile Systems was renamed Thales Air Defence Limited in 2001.
Shorts Missile Systems contributed to Raytheon Company's Future Medium Range Air-Air Missile (FMRAAM) initiative, which aimed to develop a successor to the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile for European air forces. Nevertheless, in May 2000, the UK opted for the MBDA Meteor missile to fulfill this requirement.
Products
- A lightweight anti-tank guided missile system produced by Thales.
- A portable surface-to-air missile system, currently being phased out in favor of Starstreak.
- A High Velocity Missile (HVM) designed for air defence, available in man-portable, attack helicopter, and vehicle-mounted configurations.
- Manufactured under licence for the Ministry of Defence, this missile targets armoured vehicles and individual threats while reducing exposure of the launch platform.
- Procured by the MoD as the FASGW(L) missile in 2011, intended for deployment on the Royal Navy's Lynx Wildcat helicopter.