Thales News

SpaceWatch Global

High activity

ESA, SES and Italian builders expand deep-space and Earth-observation communications capabilities—from quantum-secure ground lin

ESA has tapped Aalyria for a solar-system network-operations center and commissioned an optical ground station in Luxembourg aimed at ultra-secure, quantum-enabled satellite communications. SES will route station data via its O3b mPOWER network ahead of Starlab. Italy’s PRISMA Second Generation hyperspectral mission is moving toward a 2031 launch with Thales Alenia Space and OHB Italia.

AeroTime

France mobilizes an Airbus A400M to combat Gironde wildfires, disrupting Airbus and Rafale-area aerospace operations

France’s military deployed an Airbus A400M to help fight out-of-control wildfires burning west of Bordeaux in late July 2026. As fires threatened the region, aerospace firms—including Dassault, Thales and ArianeGroup—closed nearby sites, while Dassault moved sensitive equipment to Merignac and nearby air-base facilities after the Gironde wildfire idled the Rafale assembly line.

Space Intel Report

Thales’ space unit rebounds: sales and profit rise in 3Q ended June 30 despite SES canceling two geostationary telecom satellite

Thales’ space business—run largely through Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio—posted continued recovery in the three months ended June 30, with both sales and profit increasing. The improvement held even after a customer cancellation of two geostationary-orbit telecommunications satellites, costing €174.5M for Thales’ accounts.

Reuters

High activity

RTX, Lockheed Martin and Thales lift outlook amid sustained defense demand and higher aerospace aftermarket activity

RTX raised 2026 sales and profit forecasts, linking the outlook to continued commercial maintenance demand and military systems growth while the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan supply challenge persists. In parallel, Lockheed Martin increased its 2026 guidance as the Pentagon seeks to restock weapons, and Thales booked stronger orders supported by defense and satellite programs.

Reuters

High activity

Lockheed and partners push lower-cost counter-drone and CCA-era air combat tools: bargain-rate Patriot, Morfius X-Rotor, and X-B

Lockheed Martin says it will field a lower-cost Patriot interceptor designed to improve hit probability and battlefield replenishment as high-end stockpiles tighten. The company is also rolling out Morfius X-Rotor, a recoverable counter-drone system intended to kill up to 50 drones per sortie, while Shield AI and GE Aerospace integrate AVEN on an X-Bat CCA prototype.

SpaceWatch Global

High activity

NATO launches talks to buy up to 10 Saab GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft as it also pushes secure comms and air-defense data modernizat

NATO says it will begin formal negotiations with Saab to acquire up to 10 GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft based on the Global 6500. Separate reporting highlights NATO’s continued appetite for high-altitude surveillance platforms, plus NCIA selection of Thales/Leonardo for secure deployable comms for Allied Special Operations Forces Command and NATO’s plan to modernize air-defense data via contracts awarded to Anduril, Palantir and Athea SAS.

Runway Girl

Thales takes a connectivity-agnostic stance for in-flight entertainment (IFE) integrations

Thales says it will remain “agnostic on connectivity” for embedded IFE, positioning its in-flight experience platform to integrate with virtually any connectivity “pipe” rather than being tied to a single network provider. The approach is aimed at preserving flexibility for airlines as IFE and connectivity choices evolve.

FlightGlobal

UK MoD commits to a Watchkeeper WK450 successor by 2027 as Thales legacy uncrewed surveillance platform nears withdrawal

The UK Ministry of Defence says it will field a replacement uncrewed surveillance platform by 2027, as Thales Watchkeeper WK450 is set to be withdrawn from service earlier than March next year. Procurement officials must select and stand up a new system before the current fleet is retired.