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Thales selected for FIST programme

12 March 2003

Thales UK has been selected by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to undertake the Assessment Phase (AP) of the FIST (Future Integrated Soldier Technology) programme. FIST is the UK programme that will provide a quantum leap in capability to the dismounted soldier by integrating advances in C4I, target acquisition, navigation, survivability and lethality. FIST will bring the soldier into the network enabled environment.

The FIST AP will be conducted over the next three years with a contract value of £15 million. Thales will be extremely well placed to be chosen for the subsequent Demonstration, Manufacturing and Support phases worth some £2 billion. It is estimated that the D&M phase would sustain or create up to 1000 jobs at Thales sites and SMEs around the UK. The programme will eventually provide around 29000 FIST systems for the UK infantry.

Alex Dorrian, CBE, Chief Executive Officer of Thales UK said: "The award of the contract builds on Thales' position as world leader in the field of soldier modernisation and network enabled capability in both the UK and international markets. Thales UK is ideally suited to undertake the FIST programme, as we have a long history of working with the infantry. Thales is considered to be the UK national leader for infantry systems and has a full understanding of the technologies involved. The contract also further enhances Thales' position as a UK prime contractor following the recent successes in the CVF and Watchkeeper programmes. It draws on the technical strengths of Thales in the UK, built up over many years of investment."

Thales will deliver the Assessment Phase, based upon agreed shared objectives with the MoD. Thales will conduct competitions for all equipment selected ensuring the best solution is given to the soldier. The FIST Team is drawn from within the Thales UK group supported by 'best in class' partner companies from the UK. It is expected that Thales sites effected by this contract will include Glasgow, Bristol, Taunton, Staines, Reading and Wells. The team will help extend the UK technology base in an extremely diverse group of technologies including materials, connectors, wire and wireless links, power supplies, munitions, electro-optics, C4I software and hardware and navigation.

Thales is already involved in all of the major soldier modernisation programmes in the international market and a key initiative of the FIST Team will be to develop stronger links within the international soldier modernisation community with a view to developing common standards and addressing interoperability issues. There will be an opportunity to build on Thales UK's role as the centre of excellence for soldier modernisation, with a potential for £3 billion exports from the UK and a further 1000 jobs created or sustained.

Thales' activities encompass optronics, air defence, sensors, communications and naval systems. The company is the UK's second largest defence contractor, having been a supplier to the MoD since before the First World War. Thales now draws together in one company businesses including the former Racal, Thomson Marconi Sonar, Shorts Missile Systems, Thorn, Avimo and Pilkington Optronics. Employing 65,000 people in almost 50 countries, in 2002 Thales global revenues were over 11.1 billion euros.

Press contacts:
Matt Pothecary - Tel: 33 (0)1 53 77 86 26
Tim Orr - Tel: + 44 (0) 1 932 84585