Safran has announced the expansion of its partnerships with two Australian companies, Advanced Navigation and Thomas Global Systems, to further the domestic development of next-generation submarine technology.
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To support Safran’s commitment to Australian industry capabilities, Safran Electronics & Defense Australasia (SEDA) has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Advanced Navigation to co-operate on the development of inertial navigation systems for land and maritime defence applications. This MoU represents the first step towards close co-operation on the navigation market between Safran and Advanced Navigation (an inertial navigation expert with a proven export record).
The first phase of this co-operation is focused on the navigation subsystem of the Future Submarine Program, and would see Safran and Advanced Navigation’s engineers working together as part of a combined project team.
Alexis de Pelleport, chief executive of SEDA, "We believe this approach will have a positive and enduring effect on Australia’s defence industry."
The MoU has also intended that Safran’s strategic partner, Sydney-based Thomas Global Systems, will also play a significant role in Safran’s future submarine activities. The scope of the partnership – signed in early 2018 to manufacture the PASEO sighting system for LAND 400 and 907 – has been extended to cover the production of hardware for Safran’s naval systems, including submarine optronics and navigation systems.
"We see this as the most effective path to bring cutting-edge submarine technology to Australia, and it will make real progress towards establishing sovereign capability for the Australian Defence Force," de Pelleport said.
These two partnership agreements contribute to reinforce Safran’s strategy, which comprises two key components: the first is to grow the local subsidiary, SEDA, by increasing its capabilities to better support the ADF; the second is to partner with Australian companies to facilitate the exchange of technology and thereby enhance the capabilities of the country’s defence industry.
Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aircraft propulsion and equipment, space and defence markets. Safran has a global presence, with more than 58,000 employees and sales of €16.5 billion in 2017. Safran is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange, and is part of the CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 indices.
Advanced Navigation is a privately owned company that specialises in the development and manufacturing of navigation technologies and robotics. The company has a focus on generating products of the highest quality standard, both in terms of hardware and software.
Thomas Global is an industry leader in the design, production and support of innovative electronic systems solutions for aerospace and defence applications. The company delivers expertise in advanced flight displays, armored vehicle electronics and mission system solutions supported by dedicated service and support teams operating around the world.