Thales Optronics is a major unit of Thales Group

Thales Group

The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...

 and has three main subsidiaries, Thales Optronics Ltd. (UK), Thales Optronique SA (France) and Thales Optronics B.V.

Thales' optronics businesses in the UK are as a result of the acquisition of Pilkington Optronics. Pilkington Optronics was formed by Pilkington

Pilkington

Pilkington Group Limited is a multinational glass manufacturing company headquartered in St Helens, United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of the Japan-based NSG Group...

 plc in 1988 to take control of the company's optronics businesses: Pilkington PE and Barr and Stroud

Barr and Stroud

Barr & Stroud Limited was a pioneering Scottish optical engineering firm, based in Glasgow, that played a leading role in the development of modern optics, including rangefinders, for the Royal Navy and for other branches of British Armed Forces during the 20th century...

, which was based in Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

. Pilkington PE later became Thales Optics Ltd., and – following divestment from Thales in December 2005 – now trades as Qioptiq Ltd.

In 1991 Thomson-CSF acquired a 50% share of Pilkington Optronics (PO). In 1995 PO acquired Thorn EMI

Thorn EMI

Thorn EMI was a major British company involved in consumer electronics, music, defence and retail. Created in October 1979 when Thorn Electrical Industries merged with EMI, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but it demerged again in...

 Electro Optics which was renamed Pilkington Thorn Optronics (now Thales Optronics (Staines) Ltd). Three years later, Thomson-CSF purchased another 40% of PO from Pilkington and the remainder in 2000 to make it a wholly owned subsidiary. In 2000 Thomson-CSF was renamed Thales and Pilkington Optronics Ltd. became Thales Optronics Ltd. Soon after, Thomson-CSF acquired W Vinten Ltd, a British reconnaissance equipment manufacturer, including the Joint Reconnaissance Pod

Joint Reconnaissance Pod

The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod is a wide area tactical reconnaissance pod produced by Thales Optronics of Bury St Edmunds, England. It is the latest version of a pod produced for the UKMoD and the RAF Jaguar force, originally developed and produced by W. Vinten Ltd...

, who now operate as Thales Optronics (Bury St Edmunds) Ltd.

Products

• Search and track
  • PIRATE (Passive Infra Red Airborne Tracking Equipment) for Eurofighter Typhoon
    Eurofighter Typhoon
    The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
    
    
  • Rafale FSO/OSF IRST systems
• IRST systems
• Self protection systems
  • Laser Warning Receivers
    Laser warning receiver
    A laser warning receiver is a type of warning system used as a passive military defence. It detects laser emission from laser guidance systems and laser rangefinders. Then it alerts the crew and can start various countermeasures, like smoke wall, aerosol screen A laser warning receiver is a type of...
    
    
  • Laser countermeasures
• Laser range finders
• Sighting systems
• Reconnaissance systems
  • Joint Reconnaissance Pod
    Joint Reconnaissance Pod
    The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod is a wide area tactical reconnaissance pod produced by Thales Optronics of Bury St Edmunds, England. It is the latest version of a pod produced for the UKMoD and the RAF Jaguar force, originally developed and produced by W. Vinten Ltd...
    
    
• Submarine Sensor Systems including the latest non-hull penetrating Optronics Masts systems, which replace conventional periscope
  Periscope
  A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
  
  s in some of the most modern submarine classes.
• Electro-optic aircraft reconnaissance pods and image exploitation stations
• AFV Fire Control and Navigation systems

See also

• Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom