Thales Belgium S.A.
Thales Belgium is a long-standing partner of the Belgian armed forces, supplying tactical communication systems and a variety of onboard sensors for armoured vehicles, ships, helicopters and UAVs.
For more than 20 years, the Group has been involved in NATO's programme to upgrade its AWACS early warning and control aircraft, modernising the communications systems as a Tier 1 supplier to Boeing. More than 30 countries, half of them NATO members, have selected 70 mm/2.75” rocket systems from the Thales including rocket launcher, weapon management system and ammunition (warhead & rocket motors).
Contact details
Carmen Ruan Wu
System Engineering Manager
+32(0)491145784
carmen.ruan@be.thalesgroup.com
Rue en Bois 63
4040 Herstal
Belgium
Design and simulation
Design: mechanical computer aided design (CAD)
Simulation: Matlab/Simulink Modeling for simulation
Materials
Aluminum
Prepregs with carbon and glass fiber with epoxy resin
Material
Prepreg carbon fibre with epoxy resin, Prepreg glass fiber, High performance foam
Advantages
No corrosion
Low mass- average about 50% lighter than comparable metallic rocket launcher
Process
Hand layup & autoclave cured. Composites parts and assemblies with sandwich panels and/or monolithic CRFP/GRFP
Development status
R&D Phase for the new generation of launchers
Development partners
FN Herstal, Gdtech, JD’C Innovation, Sobelcomp
Our use cases
Low mass is of utmost importance in helicopter applications.
Thales lightweight rocket launchers (FZ® brand) made out of composite material are on average about 50% lighter than comparable metallic rocket launcher, have no corrosion issue and other features. They have been especially developed for rotary wings due to limitation of payload.
During the development of the composite rocket launchers, strict military design processes were applied including a full testing program according to MIL-STD 810H.
Thales is involved in a project at regional level to develop new generation of lightweight rocket launcher.
Further information
Tube Lightweight Launcher 1
Tube Lightweight Launcher 2
Tube Lightweight Launcher 3
Click here
Thales Belgium offers:
- R&D on defense activities
- Project building expertise
- Integration systems expertise onto various platforms (helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, vehicles)
- Technical support for development and integration systems