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Samsung Thales wins Korean missile contract worth around '470M

12 March 2004

At the end of 2003, Samsung Thales was awarded a contract worth around '470m for the Search and Tracking System (STS) for the second batch of the Korean Short-Range Anti-Air Missiles (K-SAM). This contract award confirms Samsung Thales' position as a leading high-tech company and reinforces its leadership in air defense. In 1999, Samsung Thales won a previous contract worth '330m for KSAM Batch 1.

STS is a highly sophisticated weapons system which is a core element of the K-SAM system. It protects Korea's major industrial and military infrastructures, such as airports and ports, against enemy air attacks. STS is used to search, identify and track enemy targets. It then provides a very high level of information for the fire control system.

Samsung Thales will produce an increased percentage of the Batch 2 systems in Korea compared to Batch 1, which were produced in cooperation with Thales in France. With Batch 2, Samsung Thales will acquire additional technical know-how to further increase its capabilities for providing repair and maintenance services in Korea. As such, Samsung Thales will fulfill the priority request of the Republic of Korea Army to provide a domestic maintenance capability and to achieve very high levels of quality control and services throughout the life cycle of K-SAM.

Jean Georges Malcor, Thales' Senior Vice-President, International Operations commented, "This new contract is a clear demonstration of the synergies that exist between Samsung and the Thales Group. Samsung Thales is a great success story as it has doubled its sales in four years and displayed annual growth of 18 % per year. Samsung Thales will enhance Korea's anti-air defense system and significantly develop Korea's high tech defense industry."

About Samsung Thales
Samsung Thales was founded in 1999 as a joint venture between Samsung Electronics and the Thales Group. The company has a broad spectrum of capabilities in defense systems such as air defence, communications, naval, electro-optics and avionics. Samsung Thales has around 1, 250 employees.

Press contact :
Matt Pothecary
Tel : + 33 (0) 1 57 77 86 26