“Thales’ strategy is in line with the government’s ‘Make in India’ policy to develop the industrial defence base of the country. Our association with HAL and JVs with BEL, Samtel and L&T Technology Services are a testament to it. With our own “Go to India” initiative, we have been promoting India as a sourcing destination and co-operating with the Indian private sector to innovate together, build transfer of technology and supply chain partnerships to support our growth plans for the market. Our overall objective is to Make in India as well as export from India,” said Stephane Lavigne, VP S&M – India, Thales in an exclusive interview to Aviation & Defence Universe(ADU).
 
ADU. Could you give us an update on your strong association with BEL for the Indian defence programmes?
SL. Thales’ distinguished partnership with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) dates back to the time of the latter’s inception. Thales has had the opportunity to collaborate with BEL on many successful and critical projects to service the Indian Armed Forces. The company has also formed a joint venture – BEL-Thales Systems Limited (BTSL) that was incorporated in August 2014. Thales holds 26% equity in the joint venture while Bharat Electronics holds 74 % of the stake.
In March 2016, Thales and BTSL signed a partnership agreement for the joint development of the PHAROS fire control radar for gun and missile systems that will cater to both domestic Indian and international geographies. BTSL is responsible for developing the mechanical design and radar processing modifications while Thales is responsible for the design and production of the radar antenna.
We have progressed well on the development work for PHAROS. The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for one of the work packages for PHAROS has been successfully passed. The design and development for other work packages is also on track. Moreover, a dedicated engineering factory has been established between BTSL and Thales. This factory provides high speed secure data communication for data transfer. This co-development agreement is in line with the ‘Make in India’ vision of the Indian authorities.
ADU. Tell us about Thales equipment that will be a part of IAF’s Rafale programme.
SL. Thales provides a number of state-of-the-art equipment and systems onboard the Rafale. These include the RBE2 AESA radar, the Spectra electronic warfare system, optronics, the communication navigation and identification system (CNI), the majority of the cockpit display systems, power generation systems and a logistics support component. At Aero India this year, Thales will showcase these key systems as well as the new generation multi-function targeting pod and the airborne reconnaissance observation system.
Rafale’s new export success demonstrates Thales’ ability, alongside Dassault Aviation and its partners, to constantly meet the customer’s highest expectations through innovation, mastery of advanced technology and industrial excellence.
ADU. With some Upgraded Mirage 2000s having been delivered to the IAF, please update us on the HAL upgrade programme?
SL. Thales and Dassault Aviation have been working on the upgradation of the Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000 fleet since July 2011. Four upgraded aircraft have already been delivered to the IAF. The rest of the fleet is being upgraded under the responsibility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with the support of Dassault Aviation and Thales teams as per the contract.
The upgrade will further enhance the IAF’s air potential by the integration of new capabilities. These include longer-range detection across the entire spectrum, improved tactical situation awareness, longer-range weapon firing against multiple simultaneous targets, weapon stealth and an extended operating envelope with the capability to engage ground targets whilst countering airborne threats. As a result, the IAF will have a coherent platform-system combination for the next 20 years.
ADU. Could you share your opinion on ‘Make in India’ programme?
SL. ‘Make in India’ is a step in the right direction and expected to give fillip to the Indian industry, thereby positioning India as a global manufacturing hub. It will not only help Indian industries become globally competitive but also allow companies like us to further support the country’s modernisation needs. Defence production is at the heart of ‘Make in India’ programme and this would further empower India and provide it an advantage globally, helping develop strategic relationships with different countries.
ADU. How does Thales plan to further increase its defence presence in India?
SL. The defence sector contributes more than half of the turnover the company has in India with the balance coming from the non-defence businesses. As we move forward, we will continue to respond to market requirements, build a strong ecosystem of partners and support the process of transforming India into a global innovation and manufacturing hub. We believe that our strategy of aligning with the ‘Make in India’ vision of the government will hold us in good stead in delivering our support to the government’s modernization plans and also in achieving our own business objectives.
ADU. What products is Thales showcasing at Aero India 2017 ?
SL. This year, at Aero India, Thales will demonstrate its ability of continually meeting the customer’s highest expectations through innovation, mastery of advanced technology and industrial prowess by displaying a wide range of its cutting-edge products, capabilities and latest developments.
Thales booth 3.1 in Hall B will have some of its high-end capabilities such as rocket systems, air mission systems, communication systems, optronics along with a showcase of state-of-the-art equipment onboard the Rafale and a special focus on new innovations from the company such as Stratobus, an autonomous stratospheric airship that can be positioned at an altitude of 20 km over its theatre of operations and can perform a variety of missions including surveillance of borders or high-value sites, on land or at sea, security, environmental monitoring and telecommunications, new broadband tactical software-defined radio SYNAPS and C4I systems, Spy’Ranger, a mini surveillance and reconnaissance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), among others.
ADU. What are your expectations from the show and what are your expectations from the Indian Aerospace & Defence market?
SL. We have had a fruitful association with India since 1953 and over the years have secured the confidence of the Indian armed forces, the government and the industry. ‘Make in India’ is a core element of our strategy for India and in this regard, we welcome events like Aero India that enable us to further our objective by connecting us with all key stakeholders and allowing us to bring our cutting-edge solutions to the Indian market.
We believe the Indian Aerospace and Defence sector will play a significant role with regard to ‘Make in India’ initiative, which seeks to unveil globally the potential of India’s manufacturing sectors in design, innovation and sustainability. The government has taken many initiatives towards boosting and reinforcing the idea of local manufacturing. India’s defence industry, which has grown substantially in recent years, seems headed for even better days.
We believe the Indian Aerospace and Defence sector will play a significant role with regard to ‘Make in India’ initiative, which seeks to unveil globally the potential of India’s manufacturing sectors in design, innovation and sustainability. The government has taken many initiatives towards boosting and reinforcing the idea of local manufacturing. India’s defence industry, which has grown substantially in recent years, seems headed for even better days.