Thales Training & Simulation

Thales Training & Simulation Ltd.

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Aerospace, Defense, Simulation, Training
Predecessor	Redifon, Rediffusion Simulation Limited, Hughes Rediffusion Simulation, Thomson Training & Simulation
Founded	1946 in United Kingdom
Headquarters	Crawley , United Kingdom
Area served	Worldwide
Parent	Thales Group

Thales Training & Simulation Ltd. is a global enterprise focused on designing and producing comprehensive flight and military simulators, alongside delivering associated training and support solutions. It functions as a fully owned subsidiary under the Thales Group umbrella.

History

The company was initially established in the United Kingdom in 1946 under the name Redifon. Two years later, it moved its operations to Crawley, West Sussex. In 1981, as part of the British Electric Traction group, it was rebranded Rediffusion Simulation Limited (RSL) to capitalize on the well-known Rediffusion identity.

In 1988, the organization was acquired by Hughes Aircraft and renamed Hughes Rediffusion Simulation (HRSL). Later in 1994, Thomson-CSF took ownership and merged it with Link Miles (which had been acquired in 1990), creating Thomson Training & Simulation (TTSL), headquartered at Manor Royal in Crawley.

The Australian simulation division of Wormald Technology was purchased in 1998 and integrated as Thales Training & Simulation Pty Ltd (TTSP). In the United States, Burtek—acquired by Thomson-CSF in 1979—was renamed Thomson Training & Simulation Inc. By the year 2000, following a corporate rebranding, the company adopted the Thales identity as Thales Training & Simulation (TTS).

In August 2012, Thales sold off its civilian fixed-wing simulation segment to L-3 Communications (now L3 Technologies), which established L-3 Link Simulation & Training. This transaction included part of the Crawley site, specifically the full flight simulator design and manufacturing departments. Nonetheless, Thales preserved its military and rotary-wing simulation divisions.

Operations

Thales Training & Simulation runs four primary production facilities:

• United Kingdom (Crawley, West Sussex) focusing on military aircraft simulators as well as delivering training and support services tailored for defense customers.
• France (Cergy-Pontoise) specializing in simulators for military aircraft, helicopters, and land vehicles such as tanks and trucks.
• Germany (Koblenz) dedicated to producing small arms training systems.
• Australia (Sydney, New South Wales) catering to the Australasian region.

Additionally, the company operates joint ventures and maintains customer support centers across the United States, Saudi Arabia, China, among other locations.

Products and services

Thales designs and manages a wide range of aircraft simulation products including:

• Fixed base simulators — These units lack motion platforms and are generally housed within dome structures; primarily utilized by military clients. Certain full flight simulators also employ fixed base setups with limited control functionalities.
• Full flight simulators — These immersive simulators incorporate hydraulic or electric motion platforms. Thales offers RealitySeven and Reality H series models designed for both fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters.
• Military simulators — Systems that replicate aircraft components, naval vessels, or ground vehicles to emulate operational scenarios.
• Support services now encompass PFI and PPP arrangements. Thales delivers synthetic training solutions for Tornado GR4 crews of the Royal Air Force as well as Army Air Corps Lynx Mk 7 & Mk 9 pilots. The company manages several Royal Air Force simulation centers (covering Nimrod MR Mk2, C130K, VC10, Tristar, Tucano, Jaguar, Tornado F3, SeaKing Mk3) under PPP contracts. On an international scale, Thales is part of a consortium providing NH90 helicopter synthetic training to the German air force through PFI schemes. The Helisim joint venture with Eurocopter operates a synthetic helicopter training facility.
• In the mid-1980s, Thales partnered with Walt Disney Imagineering to create the Advanced Technology Leisure Application Simulator (A.T.L.A.S) ride system featured in attractions such as Star Tours, Body Wars, and Iron Man Experience.
• The company produces driver simulators for heavy goods vehicles like trucks and buses as well as military platforms including tanks.
• Its simulator portfolio also extends to nuclear power plant operator training programs and small arms instruction for military personnel and law enforcement agencies.