Latest News

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  Thales to supply tactical radios to the US Army

  Thales is one of two suppliers to which the U.S. military has awarded an IDIQ (indeterminate deliveries and quantities) contract capped at $6 billion for the supply of advanced tactical radios. This 10-year contract, which follows those of October 2021 by which the US Army ordered Thales its two-way radio AN/PRC-148D Leader Radio and its new single channel AN/PRC-170 Javelin Radio, provides for a base period of five years, followed by a second period of five years, optional. Thales will also provide a tactical radio based on the AN/PRC-148 IMBITR (Enhanced Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio) system, "the latest in a family of battlefield-proven tactical voice and data radios". This new system will allow the U.S. Army to replace the aging SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System), and its fleet of R/T1523 radios.

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  India stops negociations with Russia for 10 Ka-31 naval helicopters

  India had begun negotiations with Russia in 2019 to purchase Ka-31 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) helicopters; they had been suspended for a time due to the Covid crisis, then resumed in February 2022. The Indian authorities have now announced their suspension "unilateral and without time limit" following uncertainties concerning the construction of the helicopters but also the problems related to the payment of the contract of $ 520 million. These helicopters were however in high demand by the Indian Navy, which already has 14, since they must integrate the embarked air group of the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, supposed to be put into service this summer. There are now very few helicopters available in an AEW version, except for the Sea King AEW that has become too old and the Chinese Z-18J which cannot be chosen by India for geopolitical reasons. The country could then prospect for the development of an AEW version with helicopter manufacturers, which would take some time and cause the Indian Navy a lack of capability in its airborne early warning elements.