The contract signed by the Ukrainian defence ministry the French defence ministry and Thales covers the delivery of a complete short-range air defence systems a radio communications system and air target designators The visit to Limours by the two defence ministers included a tour of Thales's military radar design Thales's Limours site is recognised as Europe's largest centre of expertise in the field of air defence A complete threat detection and protection system for Ukraine To keep populations and the armed forces safe threats must be detected as early as possible whenever and wherever they arise – at sea air defence systems must be capable of detecting and tracking any type of target and providing actionable data on objects in motion in the air Thales has long-standing expertise in every aspect of air defence from drone countermeasures to anti-ballistic missile defence: surface radars The GM200 and the other surface radars in the Ground Master family offer an effective response to the types of threats faced by Ukraine which include drones and long-range threats such as cruise missiles As a recognised European leader in systems integration Thales has the capability to integrate air defence systems-of-systems and to manage compatibility with other defences which is a real advantage for users needing to deploy their assets quickly and efficiently "Thales is proud to be playing a part in the protection of Ukraine in particular by providing air defence systems." Patrice Caine LIMOURS, France — About 50 kilometers south of Paris, a factory is looking to double production of one of France’s best-selling pieces of military kit — Ground Master air surveillance radars It's a result of President Emmanuel Macron's pressure to boost defense production in response to the war in Ukraine and the need to upgrade Europe's militaries after years of neglect as well as from rising demand across the world During his new year's address to the armed forces among the defense companies that have significantly ramped up manufacturing in the past two years is facing issues that are bedeviling the defense sector across Europe as it rethinks every aspect of production and runs into issues like expanding factories and hiring more workers “For the assembly lines to cope with the increase of demand we’re doubling the teams and are in the process of working on two shifts instead of one to make sure we have more production in Limours,” said Yves Descourvieres the head of product management for surveillance multi-mission radars.   And there's no question that the radars are needed They're designed to detect air threats and identify jet fighters, missiles and helicopters. They also have new capabilities allowing them to distinguish drones from birds. From Limours, the €30 million GM 400 Alpha can see aircraft above Bordeaux GM 200s have a shorter range of between 250 kilometers and 350 kilometers Thales — a company jointly controlled by the French state and fighter jet maker Dassault Aviation — is Europe’s radar leader and third in the world behind Lockheed Martin and Raytheon of the U.S.  The defense and security contractor has sold 200 GM radars worldwide to 32 different countries since 2008, including 40 in 2023 alone. Ukraine also bought a GM 200 system last year the Limours factory tests the radars' antennas in blue-walled rooms designed to muffle echoes before assembling them in a large area with a French flag and pictures of Ground Masters in action Security is tight: An officer checks phones and pictures taken by visitors before they leave to make sure no industrial secrets are taken out of the facility.  the French government has urged companies to produce more weapons now the target is over 20 a year,” Descourvieres said The company is revamping every part of the production line The Limours factory now has four test chambers to fine-tune the antennas and has set up 17 testing zones for the assembled radars compared with a dozen a few months ago.   "We need a perfect synchronization of arrivals of equipment to avoid waste and wait," said Eric Marceau the vice president of strategy for the radar business Making radars needs skills ranging from mechanical engineering to software development and radio-frequency expertise. And like many defense plants Thales' radar factory is located far from cities “What is a little less easy is to bring young talent to Limours," Descourvieres complained saying it would be easier if the factory were located in a posh part of Paris As European governments get serious about making their militaries war-ready and Ukraine fights a life-and-death struggle against Russia speaking on condition of  anonymity because they’re not allowed to talk to the press described radars as “the first building block in ensuring sovereignty over one’s airspace.”  Thales' GM systems, which are mobile and usually mounted on trucks, have fully digital long-range radar able to identify targets ranging from very high to very low altitudes. It tracks everything from low-flying highly maneuverable tactical aircraft to unconventional devices such as UAVs or cruise missiles “It's like watching your garden in the dark with a torch," said Marceau "it’s the equivalent of having 15 torches watching at the same time.” Thales’ air surveillance radars are also a key element of France’s recent push to deepen defense ties with countries previously under Russia’s grip The continent needs to focus on cheaper satellites to stay in the space race NATO’s Admiral Pierre Vandier tells POLITICO Paris and Stockholm are deepening defense ties in missiles air defense and even nuclear deterrence amid uncertainty caused by Donald Trump German lawmaker Nils Schmid argues there is no need to open the subject as the U.S has not said it would withdraw its nuclear umbrella European capitals are divided on how to respond to a probable reduction of America’s military presence Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Home » Thales SeaFire Radar Qualified and Ready for Integration on FDI CMS the Sea Fire radar underwent a substantial number of land-based tests mobilising a vast panel of resources and combined teams from the DGA All testing took place at the Shore Integration Facility (SIF) on the DGA’s SESDA site in Saint-Mandrier in the South of France – a major testing reference centre in Europe for the naval sector this facility has been testing and qualifying ashore every combat system and critical sensors of major ships (frigates and aircraft carriers) in service within the French Navy Evaluated and tested against an extensive range of situations including surface targets (light boats – the Sea Fire assured its ground-breaking ability to search simultaneously for air and surface targets in a difficult environment scanning a range of several hundred kilometres with 90° in elevation and an unmatched refresh rate Thanks to the Sea Fire’s unique full digital technology (for instance digital beamforming) the radar delivers enhanced performance for all missions through dynamic radar resource management with very short response time This digital radar is at the forefront of technological innovation and benefits from all Thales’s Big Data and cybersecurity expertise with the contribution of a network of French small and medium- sized companies Sea Fire production started in May 2018 and the first FDI shipset was delivered in May 2021 (4 panels) “The qualification of the Sea Fire by the DGA is a key milestone of the radar development We are proud that the Sea Fire is now ready for integration by Naval Group on the FDI frigate.” Naval News brings you news coverage of the latest naval defense shows & events We are also reporting on naval technology from all over the world French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu and his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov met at the Thales site in Limours a centre of excellence for air defence in Europe to sign a contract for the delivery of a complete short-range air defence system Oleksiy Reznikov said that Ukraine will receive two GM200 radar stations The visit to Limours by the two defence ministers included a tour of Thales’s military radar design Thales’s Limours site is recognised as Europe’s largest centre of expertise in the field of air defence The GM200 radar can be integrated into the SAMP/T air defense system Cookie Policy Copyright © 2025 Defence Industry Europe | mady by: geekon.eu We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You 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Perched 181 meters high, the plateau’s unobstructed view lends itself easily to a night of astronomy. Nicknamed the “Tibet of the Île-de-France”, you’ll be able to see part of the Eiffel Tower this park is a great spot for astronomy enthusiasts and star gazers alike This huge 25-hectare park is not short of space With its heights and unobstructed views, this park is ideal for stargazing, especially on clear nights. Whether on the Sacré-Coeur square or in the Marcel Bleustein square Fingers crossed for as little pollution as possible don’t miss “Paris under the stars” come star-gaze and try your hand at seeing shooting stars with the whole family at Parc Montsouris entrance via 26 boulevard Jourdan 75014 Paris If you’d like to get the most out of stargazing We’re keeping our fingers crossed that you’ll be able to see the Perseids this year Indo Defence – Jakarta – 11-14 June DSEI – London – 9-12 September PARTNER – Belgrade – 23-26 September Seafuture – La Spezia – 29 Sept.-2 October ADEX – Seoul – 29 October-2 November Dubai Air Show – Dubai – 17-21 November Milipol Paris – Paris – 18-21 Novenber Expodefensa – Bogotá – 1-3 December Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value"