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Thales Air Defence

Thales Air Defence Limited (TADL), formerly Shorts Missile Systems (SMS), is a defence contractor based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, producing short range air defence missiles.

Shorts Missile Systems was established as a joint venture between Shorts' owners Bombardier and Thomson-CSF in 1993. In 2000, Thomson-CSF became the sole owner. In the same year, Thomson-CSF was renamed Thales Group and in 2001, Shorts Missile Systems was renamed Thales Air Defence Limited.

TADL products have been deployed by 56 armed forces around the world. The company employs around 492 people in Northern Ireland.[1] The company also operates a remote facility in rural County Down, between Ballynahinch and Downpatrick, where missiles are tested and stored.[2]

History

Short Brothers' missile division was formed in 1952.[3][4] In 1993, this became Shorts Missile Systems (SMS) a joint venture between Shorts' owners Bombardier and Thomson-CSF.[5] In 2000 Thomson-CSF bought Bombardier's 50% share to become the sole owner.[6] In the same year Thomson-CSF was renamed Thales Group;[7] consequently in 2001 Shorts Missile Systems was renamed Thales Air Defence Limited.[8]

The then Shorts Missile Systems was a partner in Raytheon Company's Future Medium Range Air-Air Missile (FMRAAM) project, which was to replace the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile used by European air forces. In May 2000, the UK selected the MBDA Meteor to fulfil the requirement.

Products

  • NLAW
  • The NLAW is a lightweight anti-tank guided missile system that is assembled by Thales.[9]
  • Javelin
  • Javelin is a man-portable surface-to-air missile and is being replaced by Starstreak.
  • Starstreak
  • A High Velocity Missile (HVM) used in the air defence role. Used in many roles with man-portable, attack helicopter and vehicle mounted variants.
  • Hellfire
  • Built by Thales under licence from the United States for the Ministry of Defence. Hellfire is designed to defeat tanks and other individual targets while minimizing the exposure of the launch vehicle to enemy fire.
  • Martlet
  • Lightweight Multirole Missile used by the Royal Navy's AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopter.[10][11]

Historical

  • Blowpipe
  • Starburst

See also

  • Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom

References

  1. Economic Impact of Thales in Northern Ireland www.thalesgroup.com, July 2019, retrieved 2021-05-02^
  2. James Stinson. Defence firm's pre-tax losses up The Irish News, 23 September 2011^
  3. John Simpson. How the defence specialist is finding new markets belfasttelegraph, 4 July 2008, retrieved 2021-05-03^
  4. Michael Donne. Short in £225m Missile Deal The Financial Times, 16 December 1986^
  5. Christopher Bellamy. Short joins French on missile The Independent, 2 March 1993^
  6. BBC News news.bbc.co.uk, retrieved 2021-05-03^
  7. Thomson-CSF changes name to Thales www.aerospaceonline.com, retrieved 2021-05-03^
  8. Our UK locations Thales Group, retrieved 2021-05-03^
  9. £229m deal for anti-tank weapons to safeguard Thales jobs in east Belfast retrieved 2022-12-14^
  10. Thales First production contract for Thales's Lightweight Multi-role Missile announced Thales, 5 April 2011, retrieved 2011-12-27^
  11. Xavier Vavasseur. Thales on Track with FASGW(L) / LMM / Martlet Program for Royal Navy’s Wildcat Helicopters Naval News, 18 July 2019, retrieved 17 November 2025^