Thales Consolidates US Defense Businesses

Through acquisitions and intracompany mergers, Thales Communications consolidated its US defense and security-related businesses and changed its name to Thales Defense & Security, effective Oct. 1.

Two Thales businesses merged with Thales Communications: the navigation, surveillance and simulation segment of its air traffic management organization, and the former Thales USA Defense & Security Inc. Thales Communications also acquired three businesses during 2012: Tampa Microwave, Visionix and InterSense. Tampa Microwave provides small, portable, tactical SATCOM terminals for high-bandwidth, voice, video, and data battlefield communications. Visionix and InterSense develop helmet-mounted display and motion-tracking technologies.

Also as part of the intra-Thales mergers, two other businesses came under management control of Thales Communications, with no changes in their leadership: Thales e-Security, a provider of data protection products, and the Thales-DRS joint venture, Advanced Acoustic Concepts, a maker of advanced sonar systems.

"Thales has essentially consolidated its US defense and security businesses under one company," said Alan Pellegrini, president and CEO of Thales USA. "This has created a larger, stronger company with operational and market synergies that will benefit both shareholders and customers."

Thales Communications President and CEO Michael Sheehan continues in that role for Thales Defense & Security.

Besides its locations in Maryland, Thales Defense & Security has facilities in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.

Its new website is www.thalesdsi.com, and employee e-mail addresses have changed accordingly, the company said.