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Thales España

Systems and solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles.

Thales España is a leader in technology solutions for the defence, aerospace, security, transport and space industries and is a worldwide competence centre in the fields of space, critical infrastructure security and transport.

The company employs 1,300 people and in 2012 had a turnover of €300 million, exporting 30% of its total output, chiefly to the Middle East and Latin America.

Thales EspañaThales España has work centres in Spain’s major cities and participates in the Spanish Amper Programas and SAES companies for the defence sector.

Thales’s presence is indispensable in strategic sectors such as defence, space and civil security for railways, airports and oil and gas facilities.

Unmanned aerial vehicles

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Thales has great experience in high-performance systems both manned or unmanned and is a key partner in avionics, sensor and mission systems for UAVs, offering unmanned aerial systems for both civil and military uses.

With more than 40 years’ experience with these systems, Thales is in a position to lead the development of existing and future UAV programmes.

UAVs are becoming increasingly important in defence planning. Such autonomous systems have great potential for saving lives both as pilotless aircraft and by their ability to protect ground troops and precisely locate enemy targets, thereby minimising danger for civilians.

UAVs have the added benefit of offering high, durable and flexible performance. Given that these aircraft can be applied in both military and civil spheres, Thales is supporting international regulatory initiatives aimed at laying the ground for integrating UAVs into civil airspace, where their possible applications are infinite. UAVs may for example be used in fire control, exploration of inaccessible terrain, crowd control and analysis and monitoring of environmental accidents, among other uses.

UAV technologies and the capabilities of Thales systems have a proven track record in operational scenarios and have shown an ability to manage complex programmes in the field. Thales’s solution covers both tactical UAVs and MALE (medium altitude long endurance) UAVs designed to meet operational needs in identifying, locating and tracking enemy movements.

Recently achieved 64.5 hour mission coverage with three platforms flying simultaneously in support of UK armed forces

More than 60,000 flying hours to date

Able to operate 24x7 and with high availability (99.99%)

Service-mode UAVsIn 2005 the UK Defence Ministry (MoD) awarded Thales a contract for its Watchkeeper programme for building its capacity in the field of tactical UAVs. This is the biggest European UAV programme to date, worth €1 billion.

In 2007 after deploying troops in Afghanistan and Iraq the Uk MoD began to look at the benefits of using UAVs in the battlefield. And as the Watchkeeper Programme was not deliverable until a date later than the needs arising in those theatres, it asked Thales for an interim resource solution up to the programme’s delivery, as it would have been unreasonable to buy more UAVs.

The solution offered by Thales was a service-mode contract. The contract was not for the delivery of a UAV or a platform for use by the UK MoD but for the supply of imagery by the hour.

Main features of this type of contract

• Flexible duration according to the client’s needs. • Supply by Thales of a suitable UAV platform able to provide imagery by the hour. • Deployment and training in the operations theatre by Thales. • More complex and risky manoeuvres (take- off and landing) conducted by Thales staff. • Operation of the system by the Ministry of Defence. • Maintenance by Thales.

Benefits for the client:

In operational terms:

• Operational capacity. • Simpler staff structure and resources associated with a possible UAV deployment. • In-service training in the field of operations, with logistical and maintenance services. • Transfer of operating risk to the contractor.

In financial terms:

• Service provided without large initial payouts. • Transfer of operating risk to the contractor. • Dispenses with extra costs associated with life cycles and necessary subsequent upgrades. • Payment only if the service is provided.

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Since its first operational flight in July 2007

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Total weight 20 kg.Payload Up to 4 kg E/O.Endurance 8-12 hours.Range 70-90 km.Altitude 300-4000 m.Cruising speed 100 km/h.Take-off/landing Launcher/netting or sea landing.Main mission Detection and identification.Benefits Unique sea-landing capability. Compact & easy to deploy. Smallest UAV with tactical capability.

Fulmar is a purely Spanish project developed by Thales in partnership with the Spanish firm Wake-Engineering. It is an overall solution with both military and civil applications.

The Fulmar UAV is a small-span model (3.1 m) weighing just 20 kg which can fly at an altitude of 3,000 m and reach a speed of 150 km/h, with 8-hour endurance allowing it to cover up to 800 km without refuelling.

Fulmar is a competitive solution which may be adapted to various needs and integrated with other C4ISTAR systems. The various types of payload it can carry makes it capable of obtaining real-time images and video data in any situation, allowing it to integrate as a crucial sensor into border control systems, facilitating surveillance and monitoring of sea traffic and providing precious support in rescue operations.

FULMAR

Wing category Rotating, with counter-rotor.Total weight 19 kg.Payload <3 Kg, EO/IR.Electrical engine Gyro-stabilized on two axes.Endurance Up to 2h.Range Up to 10km.Altitude 3000 m.Speed range 0 to 90 km/h.Main mission Observation.Benefits Rapid deployment.

Spy’Arrow is a silent, ultra-light system (weighing just 500 grams) transportable and deployable by a single non-specialist operator. This system is fully autonomous from take-off to landing and is mainly for observation, reconnaissance and convoy protection missions. It may also be used in combat (on-board/off-board) and for area control or frontier surveillance.

In the civil sphere Spy’Arrow is highly useful for fire management without risk to human life and with low costs compared to those of the staff needed to do the same task. It can also be used in monitoring large gatherings of people such as at demonstrations or concerts, or in mobility and traffic control.

Fully autonomous Mini multi-role UAS VTOL.

The Spy’copter system is very simple to operate thanks to its unmanned vertical take-off and landing capability. Its main mission is to perform observations in a rapid and efficient manner, providing geo-referenced video in real time. Capable of transporting several types of payload such as optronic gimbals, IED detectors and atmospheric and chemical data loggers.

SPY’ARROW

Category Micro.Total weight 0.5 kg.Payload <100 g E/O.Endurance 30 mins.Range 3 km.Altitude 30-300 m.Cruising speed 50 km/h.Take-off/landing Manual launch/drop. Chief mission Observation and detection.Benefits Mobility/easy flying. Suited to urban environments.

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SPY’COPTERJust one person is enough to operate the vehicle and its payload, both in fully automatic mode and in manually assisted mode, without the need for specific piloting abilities. Its Spy’C control station is implemented on a ruggedized laptop computer connected to a data link system. The Spy’C can interconnect to a C4I system. The Spy’copter can be operated from both a moving vehicle and from a ship.

Equipped with high payload capacity and large available interior volume, the F2 is presented as the ideal solution for obtaining high tactical capabilities from a mini UAV with an MTOW of less than 25 kg, including, for example, the possibility of incorporating a mini SAR.

Its updated design, high aerodynamic efficiency and large capacities give it huge versatility and fit it out for a wide variety of missions. It is equipped with the most advanced systems in its category and its catapult-based launching system and net landing allow it to operate in a wide variety of settings.

Its ground control station (GCS), available in a portable and vehicle-based version, can control up to three UAVs simultaneously and transfer control of the UAV from one GCS to another, considerably increasing its range of operation while permitting joint and coordinated operation scenarios from land and sea.

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F2Category Mini-tactical.Total weight 25 kg.Payload Up to 4 kg.Endurance 12-16 h.Range 90 km.Altitude 5.000 m.Cruising speed 105 km/h.Take-off/Landing Launch/Net.Main mission Detection and Identification.Benefits Rapid deployment. Does not require a runway. Large configurable payload capacity. High aerodynamic efficiency.

Communications, navigation and identification (CNI Suite)

An automatic system assuring the highest safety and security regardless of weather conditions during the critical take-off and landing phases in all operations with UAVs.This high-precision long-range position sensor has been selected for the Watchkeeper programme.

The system has dispensed with the need for GPS during take-off and landing, thereby reducing the risk of pilot error in critical flight phases.

ATOLS has unobtrusive autonomous architecture, ensuring fast and easy integration in UAV systems. Several test flights have been conducted with

UAVs – with automatic take-off and landing manoeuvres on the ground and touch-down and take-off on ships – with the Thales ATOLS system on board.

Within its comprehensive portfolio Thales has a set of high performance equipments for “Communication, Navigation and Identification” suitable for integration in UAS, that allows to assure a safe operation both in the platform where they are integrated and in the other actors of the air space.

ATOLS

Transponder TSC 1430 IFF

• Miniaturised and lightweight. • MKXII A & Mode S. • Civil and military regulations.

AHV 2500 Radalt

• Low weight and volume. • Withstands jamming. • Low risk of interception.

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TMA 6000 DataLink

• LOS-BLOS datalink. • High Data Rate. • Stanag 7085 & 4660.

Next W@ve

• Software Defined Radio. • Voice and data, 30-600 MHz. • HQ- Saturn- PR4G F@snet.

Expedient radios

• Voice and data relay. • Simplex and Half Duplex. • Programmable output power up to5W.

Radio ARC-6809

• Integrated MBITR sets. • Selectable channel bandwidth. • Simplex and Half Duplex.

WatchkeeperWatchkeeper is currently the world’s most sophisticated tactical ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) system and the leading UAV programme in Europe. It is the biggest European programme, with an investment of some €1 billion.

The Watchkeeper programme is designed to be part of a closely interconnected system providing better dissemination and exploitation of information, and is to be a key component of the UK’s Networked Enabled Capacity (NEC).

Watchkeeper has a completely adaptable architecture and is to be marketed with various configurations to meet different requirements. Watchkeeper is a tactical UAV with enhanced capabilities: service-mode contract, dual payload, SAR/GMTI EO/IR radar, satellite communications, etc.

The system meets the highsecurity and airworthiness criteria required for initial UAV flights in the restricted distances and airspace of the UK.

Thales’s innovative approach to the supply of ISTAR services not only offers a fast and effective solution for the operational need for constant first-line visual data but also paves the way for the enhanced third-generation ISTAR capabilities to be offered by Thales’s Watchkeeper programme.

The Watchkeeper system provides accurate and timely ISTAR information to decision-takers at all command levels. A cost-effective package consisting of a high-performance unmanned aerial vehicle and ground systems offering operational capabilities normally associated with MALE UAV systems.

Category Tactical.Total weight 450 kg.Payload Dual 80 kg(Radar & E/O).Endurance >16 hours.Range 115 km.Altitude Up to +/- 5000 m.Cruising speed 80 km/h. Take-off/landing Runway/runway.

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I-Master is a lightweight surveillance radar with synthetic aperture (SAR) and ground moving target indication (GMTI), so it is ideal for detecting any kind of movement or shifting targets.

Satellite communications systems include airborne terminals for mission aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and fighter planes. Developments in adaptive coding and modulation allow parallel communications on the move and security against interference.

Satcom

I-Master

Characteristics

Assure securecommunications

Voice, data and video over IP

Satellite communications for mission and fighter aircrafts, helicopters and UAVs

Designed for operations in tactical environment8

Antares P • KA band (K y Ku bands optional). • 60 cm antenna (75 cm optional). • 2-axis positioner. • Tx data rate: up to 10 mbps. • Rx data rate: up to 128 kbps. • Total weight: 40 kg. • Total consumption: 800 W.

Antares A • KA band (X and Ku bands optional). • Tx data rate: up to 512 kbps. • Rx data rate: up to 1 mbps. • Total weight: 25 kg. • Total consumption: 250 W.

Antares H • X band (Ku band optional). • Tx data rate: up to 512 kbps. • Rx Data Rate: up to 1 mbps. • Total weight: 35 kg. • Total power consumption: 350 W.

I-Master can detect targets and generate long-distance images of large areas. It is effective in adverse weather conditions and situations where smoke or other opaque substances obscure the theatre. The resulting images can be linked to others and to data sources and also be analysed so as to achieve or enhance target detection, classification or tracking and behaviour pattern history.

Other applications include an ability to identify and map areas affected by natural disasters, providing users with an accurate image of sites where immediate help can be given. The data-processing output can be used in the air or via ground datalinks.

The PMB (Payload Management Board) is an advanced device with very small dimensions and weight that performs on-board image and video treatment and spreading in real time, making it the ideal solution for integrating into small-size UAS systems.

Its innovative image treatment system includes improved tracking, autotracking and geolocation functions while permitting the fusion of electro-optical and infrared images.

With the major advances obtained in UAV features, their possibilities of incorporating them into numerous and increasingly complex types of missions have been vastly expanded. It has therefore become greatly necessary to have tools available that facilitate the operation of such systems while allowing the joint operation of a variety of platforms aimed at the same objective.

In this context, Thales is developing an advanced high-level supervision system of up to three platforms in regard to navigation of the aircraft and loaded payload control. This innovative solution incorporates tools that facilitate mission planning, selecting the best platforms for fulfilling the required purposes and advanced target designation and monitoring systems. It is all enabled by a very simple, easy-to-operate interface.

PMB

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The modern inbuilt data link can securely transmit the information obtained by the on-board sensors, as it comes with an encryption hardware accelerator. It also features network functions with Layer-2 transparent connectivity, compatibility with 802.11 a/b/g and IPV4 and IPV6.

OPTIMIST

Thales España grp, SAU.Serrano Galvache, 56 • 28033 Madrid • Spain

Tel.: (+ 34) 91 273 72 00 info.es@thalesgroup.com • www.thalesgroup.com