By IANS
New Delhi : French defence and aerospace major Thales and the Tatas Monday announced an agreement in the area of optronics to offer solutions to the Indian defence market for programmes like the multi-role combat aircraft.
Optronics are electro-optical systems that are used to develop night vision devices.
“This agreement will allow both companies to develop transfer of technologies in order to implement local content and meet offsets requirement of India’s defence ministry,” the two groups said in a statement.
Thales and the Tata Power Strategic Electronics Division (SED) will collaborate in optronics in the growing Indian defence market for programmes such as medium multi-role combat aircraft and other airborne platforms.
India has made 30 percent minimum offsets obligatory for any defence deal worth over $70 million under its defence procurement policy of 2006. Accordingly, transfer of technology and investment is an important area in defence deals.
“Large defence programmes like the medium multi-role combat aircraft with offsets have created opportunities for Indian firms with defence systems experience,” said Rahul Chaudhry, chief executive of Tata Power SED.
India has already floated a global tender to buy 126 multi-role combat aircraft and the contenders include Lockheed Martin’s F-16, Boeing’s F-18, Russia’s MIG-35, Saab’s Gripen, Dassault’s Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
“Signature of this memorandum will allow Thales and Tata Power to combine their know-how and competencies to offer a unique portfolio of solutions in airborne optronics,” added Francois Hubert-Habart, regional sales director for Thales.
The Thales offer particularly includes the “Damocles pod” which enables the use of guided weapons either as standalone or as part of a cooperative deployment, as well as the Areos air reconnaissance system, the statement said.
The Areos pod is an airborne reconnaissance electro optical system for tactical and strategic missions and solutions from Thales are fully compatible with many platforms including French and Russian airplanes, the statement added.