Thales Training & Simulation
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| Thales Training & Simulation | |
|---|---|
| Image:ThalesTraining logo.png | |
| Type | Public company |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Headquarters |  Crawley, United Kingdom |
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Products | Full flight simulators, Commercial Aviation Training, Military Training |
| Employees | ~2,000 worldwide |
| Website | Official site |
Thales Training & Simulation is an international company with over sixty years experience in simulation and training. It is one of only a few companies worldwide that build full flight simulators for the airline and military training.
Contents |
[edit] Products and Services
Thales have build and now operate numerous types of aircraft (fixed wing and helicopter) simulators, including:
- Fixed based - No motion platform, normally housed in a dome, commonly military application. Full flight simulators can also be fixed based, these are generally basic training devices that have no visual and are control trainers only.
- Full flight simulators - A fully immersed simulation that has a motion platform, can be either hydraulic or electric (newer simulators)
- Military simulators - These can simulator parts of aircraft (fuselage), water based vehicles or ground systems, they are designed to simulate the look and/or feel of the environment.
- The range of services offered in support of military simulators now extends to both PFI and PPP contracts with the UK MoD where a total training solution is provided by the company. Three subsidiary companies, SPV's , have been formed to perform 2 PFI contracts and 1 PPP. Thales Training & Simulation (ACE) Ltd was formed to undertake a PFI contract to provide a service training Tornado GR4 Royal Air Force Pilots and Navigators from ab-initio's to full Combat ready status. Thales Training & Simulation (Eagle) Ltd was formed as a PFI company to train Army Air Corps Lynx Mk 7 & Mk 9 Pilots, whilst Thales Training & Simulation (Merlin) Ltd took over the operation of several existing Royal Air Force Simulator training centres, Nimrod MR Mk2, C130K, VC10, Tristar, Tucano, Jaguar, Tornado F3 and SeaKing Mk3, under a PPP arrangement.
- They also manufacture driver simulators for trucks (heavy goods vehicles) and military vehicles including tanks.
- The range of simulators includes nuclear power plant simulators (for operator training) and small arms simulators for training army, police, etc
[edit] Company history
[edit] Rediffusion Simulation
The British company was incorporated as Redifon in 1946. In 1948 the company moved to the then new town of Crawley in West Sussex. In 1981 the parent company British Electric Traction changed the company name to Rediffusion Simulation Limited (RSL) to take advantage of the then familiar Rediffusion brand name.
In 1988 the company was bought by Hughes Aircraft and renamed Hughes Rediffusion Simulation (HRSL).
In 1994 the company was taken over by Thomson-CSF and merged with Link Miles and renamed Thomson Training & Simulation (TTSL).
[edit] Link Miles
In 1990 the company was taken over by Thomson-CSF, and when Thomson-CSF bought Hughes Redifussion in 1994 the companies were merged and based at the Manor Royal site at Crawley.
[edit] Wormald Technology
The simulation business of Wormald Technlogy of Australia was bought in 1998 and renamed Thales Training & Simulation Pty Ltd (TTSP).
[edit] Burtek
The American company was bought in 1979 by Thomson-CSF and later renamed Thomson Training & Simulation Inc.
[edit] Thales Training & Simulation
At the end of 2000 the company was renamed Thales Training & Simulation when the parent company re-branded using the Thales name.
