On the Record with
FRANCOIS LUREAU, EVP & CEO, THALES AEROSPACE

Name That Seemed So Strange is Working

Thales, the ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher who gives his name to the old Thomson-CSF empire, was very fond of the skies. So much so, according to a story told by Plato, that a stargazing Thales one night fell into a ditch on his way home.

A servant girl pulled him out and said, "How do you expect to understand what is going on up in the sky if you do not even see what is at your feet?''

Which is most appropriate when one looks at Thales--the company--and its involvement in ground and air satellite-based navigation, air traffic control, collision avoidance and avionics--all, as it were, to help one see in the dark.

"The name change has been received very well" since implemented last December, François Lureau, executive VP and CEO of Thales Aerospace commercial business told Show News.

"Thomson-CSF was known as a defense company, and a French one at that.

"The name no longer described what we do, or who we are.

"Acquisitions over the years had resulted in more than 200 different names within Thomson-CSF, and 80% of our people were not here ten years ago, so the old name meant nothing to them."

Hence the change, to reflect an international aerospace and electronics company, evenly split between defense and commercial.

Thales biggest customer by far is Airbus, which has just selected it to develop the integrated avionics and flight control system for the all-digital 555-seat A380. Next biggest customer is Bombardier, with integrated flight control systems and the HUD on the Global Express.

With its Airbus and military expertise (most recently on the French Rafale fighter avionics and cockpit displays), Thales believes it has a very good basis for offering integrated avionics suites to OEMs' specifications. It already supplies these to the Eurocopter fleet with its Meghas avionics suites. "We really have a lot to offer," said Lureau.

Thales big news here is the HUD display on the Global Express, followed by its Satcom products including Aero I and Aero H antennae. Connectivity is also a focus.

"We make a lot of equipment in this field, including Ku broadband, which we can adapt to the business aircraft market," Lureau noted.

When coupled with the technology and expertise of its inflight entertainment business (a big supplier to Boeing, as well as Airbus) formed when Sextant acquired that activity from B/E Aerospace, Lureau is confident Thales can be a player in the evolving markets for high speed datalink, liveTV and true high speed Internet capability aboard airliners and corporate jets.

Thales also has considerable expertise in airborne electrical power generation. It has long supplied Dassault, and has been selected for the new FNX business jet.

-John Morris