A new era for UK defence begins with bold choices – Thales is ready

A new era for UK defence doesn't begin with equipment - it begins with bold choices. The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets that tone, and Thales is ready to respond.

The SDR is a clear signal of intent: to transform the UK's defence posture with greater readiness, resilience, and technological advantage to deter adversaries. It outlines the Government's commitment to strengthening our Armed Forces and supporting industry to deliver the next generation of capabilities in AI, autonomy, and secure, digitally enabled systems.

But these ambitions must be more than statements - they require strategic collaboration, sovereign investment, and trusted industrial partners with the ability to act.

Thales in the UK: Delivering the Defence Dividend

Thales stands ready to support the Government's vision, with the people, expertise, partners and infrastructure to deliver sovereign innovation at pace.

• We employ more than 7,000 people across 16 sites in the UK.
• Our supply chain sustains over 16,000 jobs, generating £2 billion annually in gross value added to the UK economy - a true defence dividend.
• We develop and deliver AI-enabled, autonomous systems and integrated mission solutions that give our Armed Forces the battle-winning edge they need.

These capabilities are not theoretical. They are being designed, engineered and deployed today by Thales teams across all four nations of the UK.

With the SDR's focus on digital integration and data-enabled decision-making, Thales is uniquely placed to deliver the secure communications, sensor fusion, and cyber-secure systems that enable faster, smarter operational effects. This is the unseen advantage - the digital edge - that makes the UK's next-generation platforms truly battle-winning.

We don't just deliver capability - we build resilience.

Meeting the ambition of the SDR means investing in more than platforms. It requires agile, scalable solutions that can respond to future threats, and a defence ecosystem that brings together government, primes, SMEs and academia.

That is why Thales is committed to building a collaborative, innovation-led supply chain. Through long-term partnerships, sovereign technology development and digital-first integration, we are helping the UK move at the pace of relevance.

This is a decisive moment - and a national opportunity.

The Strategic Defence Review is more than a policy document. It is a moment to reset, refocus, and re-energise how we defend our people, our interests and our allies.

At Thales in the UK, we're proud to play our part in that mission - and to help shape the future of defence with the technologies, talent and trusted partnerships that matter most.