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Thales awarded UK submarine engineering contract

23 July 2009

Thales UK has been awarded a three-year contract by the UK Min­istry of Defence (MoD) to continue its provision of specialised engineering supportto the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) submarine fleet.

For the last six years Thales UK’s SpecialAcoustic and Communication Products (SACP) group at Templecombe has been running the support contract for the UK submarinefleet’s UHF satellite communication system.

This contract was due for renewal this year and its award toThales by the MoD is based on the excellent service previously provided bythe underwater systems team.

The contract will provide support to the fleet on aworldwide, ‘24/7’-availability basis. To support the work, specialised engineeringand communication facilities have been established at the Somerset site.

Ed Lowe, Managing Director of Thales UK’s naval business, says: “This excellent news resulted from the high levelof satisfaction provided on previous contracts. We are pleased the customerwants to continue working with our underwater systems business.”

He adds: “As well as sustaining jobs at Templecombe inSomerset, the award of this contract demonstrates the customer's recognition ofthe communication systems capability within the team. “

“This capability enabled the SACP group to become a keymember of the team that has just won the competitive tender to supply a newexternal communications system for the Astute-class submarine.”

At its Templecombesite, Thales UK has been developing mast antenna technology for 20 years,including products for all types of RN submarine platform and also forforeign navies, and has expanded to surface ship and land mobile systems forworldwide customers.

Thales has designed avariety of antennas for frequencies ranging from VLF to EHF and has specialisedin satellite communications and multi-function antenna systems.These systems have been supplied to numerous navies, and the SACP group iscurrently bidding significant proposals into both UK and French submarineequipment update programmes.

- Ends -

Notes to editors

Elsewhere in the country Thales UK has been involved in providing other sensors to RN submarine programme, including electronic warfare systems developed and supplied from Crawley, West Sussex, onboard and off-board sonar systems from Templecombe in Somerset and Stockport in Cheshire, and optronic masts designed and manufactured inGlasgow. Together, these sensor systems provide the ‘eyes and ears’ of thesubmarine, making it a highly capable war fighting platform.

About Thales and Thales UK

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2008 the company generated revenues of £10.2 bn, with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability todesign, develop and deploy equip­ment, systems and services that meet the mostcomplex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional internationalfootprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners.

Thales UK employs 8,500 staff based at more than 40 locations. In 2008 Thales UK's revenues were over £1.4 bn.