Thales said on Friday it had won a contract from the British defence ministry for the maritime unmanned air vehicle (UAV), or drone, portion of the ministry’s joint UAV experimentation programme.
The French defence electronics group will lead the consortium that won the contract, which also includes Boeing of the United States and QinetiQ of Britain.
The consortium will supply the ScanEagle drone, which has extended duration capabilities and the ability to be launched and recovered on ships.
Financial details were not disclosed.
British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon had announced in July that Thales was the preferred candidate for the drones contract, worth 800-million pounds (1,145-billion euros, $1,473-billion).
Thales’ bid bested a rival offer by a consortium led by Untied States group Northrop Grumman that included British company BAE Systems. – Sapa-AFP