Thales selected as Type 31 mission systems integrator
Thales has been selected as the mission systems integrator for the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate programme, the company announced on 6 February.
The company will deliver the Tacticos mission system, integrating combat system, communications systems and the navigation and bridge system for the five T31 general purpose frigates.
In order to support the programme, Thales is expanding its capabilities in mission systems delivery in the UK. A new team has been established in Crawley, West Sussex, and a new naval combat management centre has also been developed to provide a space for customers, employees and end-users to train and test Thales systems.
Victor Chavez, chief executive, Thales in the UK, said: ‘Thales has been at the forefront of innovation with the Royal Navy for over 100 years. We are immensely proud of the trusted critical solutions we provide to the Royal Navy to protect our waters. This means we can continue to expand our significant UK footprint whilst also looking to export markets.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Euronaval 2026: Baltic breakthrough powers Saildrone’s next European expansion
Denmark’s doubled deployment, Mediterranean smuggling routes and Norwegian composite hulls show where uncrewed surveillance demand is heading, while British funding remains unclear.
-
Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift
The 50m, six-person ship from the Italian shipbuilder carries swappable, containerised payloads instead of a fixed mission, reflecting a shift that is becoming increasingly evident.
-
Canada’s submarine availability under pressure as Chicoutimi is unlikely to return to front-line duties
HMCS Victoria and HMCS Windsor could return from their current deep maintenance, but unconfirmed operational timelines leave questions over patrol capacity before the first CPSP arrives.
-
Patrol vessel demand and partnerships anchor North Africa’s naval market
Fincantieri and Naval Group are positioning for long-term work in Egypt and Morocco as demand for local industrial partnerships grows.
-
UK MoD faces ‘serious’ ASW gap as Defence Committee outlines Arctic requirements
Anti-submarine warfare, uncrewed vessels and seabed monitoring top the demand list in the Defence Committee’s High North roadmap for the 2030s.