Thales invests 55 million euros to anchor next-generation resilient navigation in France

12/06/2025

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Thales strengthens its European leadership in resilient navigation, for air, land and sea, by enhancing its Ch tellerault and Valence industrial sites in France.

The Group will invest 55 million in order to meet growing demand for secure navigation solutions for both the civil and military sectors.

This industrial ramp-up will quadruple the production capacity of the Ch tellerault site, while in Valence, the serial production of TopStar-M GNSS receivers and the TopShield anti-jamming solution will be launched, and a new sovereign production line for inertial micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) will be established.

Thales, the European leader in resilient navigation, today announces a major 55 million investment to strengthen its industrial sites in Ch tellerault and Valence, France. This investment, which will be made between 2025 and 2028, will meet the growing demand for high-performance navigation solutions, both civilian and military, and will strengthen its sovereign and cutting-edge industrial base.

A comprehensive range of solutions for resilient navigation

In a context of increasing jamming and spoofing of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals, Thales is deploying a complete range of resilient navigation solutions that combine precision, autonomy, and security. These technologies are essential to ensure operational continuity, whether for critical military missions or civil aviation safety.

By integrating two technological pillars combining inertial systems and GNSS signal reception, Thales enables reliable navigation even in contested environments. Autonomous navigation capability is maintained at all times due to the high performance of the TopAxyz inertial navigation systems. Signal reception integrity is ensured by combining the encrypted, multi-constellation TopStar-M receiver with the TopShield anti-jamming solution. These innovations are supported by France's Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) under the OMEGA (Operation for the Modernization of GNSS Equipment of the Armed Forces) programme. The performance and unique combination of these solutions make Thales the European leader in resilient navigation.

A strengthened, sustainable, and sovereign industrial base

At Ch tellerault, the production capacity of inertial navigation systems will be increased fourfold, with a gradual ramp-up through 2028. This site, with sixty years of expertise in laser gyroscopes, and as the only European supplier equipping civil aircraft, will thus be able to meet growing demand and to provide solutions for aircraft, land vehicles, ships, and munitions.

In Valence, mass production of TopStar-M receivers and TopShield systems will begin in 2026. A new production line dedicated to inertial MEMS sensors-a breakthrough technology combining compactness and high performance-will be created, establishing the site as the spearhead of France's sovereign MEMS technology sector for defense. The launch of this new production line will be accelerated with the support of Tronics Microsystems for certain industrial expertise.

A strong human and regional commitment

More than 800 employees are currently working at the two sites, and 150 new hires are planned by 2028. These investments strengthen Thales' regional footprint and actively contribute to positioning France at the forefront of the navigation industry.

Thales, a leader in resilient navigation, is reinforcing its industrial base in France, and thanks to this investment, it will have a sovereign and sustainable industrial capability, delivering the most advanced and competitive solutions to meet growing needs across both civil and military customers said Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President, Avionics, Thales.

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PR - Thales invests 55 million euros to strategically anchor next-generation resilient navigation in France.pdf

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