Thales has opened a modern service centre at the Taranto Arsenal dedicated to the maintenance of sonars
Thales, a defence and electronics firm, and the Italian Navy are consolidating their cooperation in Italy with the opening of a modern service centre at the Taranto Arsenal, dedicated to the maintenance of sonars and equipment installed on the Italian Navy vessels.
In a press statement, Thales says that this new facility enables the Italian Navy to cut intervention times by half on Thales systems. In addition, on-the-job training will be provided at this facility to Navy personnel on the maintenance of all supported systems, thus facilitating the transfer of specialised skills directly in the field.
It adds that Thales has invested in locating skilled personnel and technical resources within Italy, positioning them where they are most needed – right on the waterfronts of the major naval arsenals. This is a process of incremental and customized localisation and proximity, transferring locally a strategic capital of technical expertise and technological instrumentation, at the service of Italy’s defence.
According to the statement, the surveillance performance and reliability of Thales sonar systems in detecting and classifying submarines and underwater objects is now matched by a highly effective, responsive and local Logistic Support capability.
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Thales reaffirms its commitment in supporting the Italian Navy, which in turn confirms its trust in the Group by assigning a dedicated infrastructure within the Arsenal of Taranto for the FREMM Through Life Sustainment Management programme, it says.
The statement adds that the cooperation is further strengthened with the signing of two multi-year maintenance and support contracts, the first for FREMM Class frigates dedicated to the maintenance of the Integrated Sonar Suite and electronic warfare solutions2, and the second for Gaeta Class minehunters, dedicated to the maintenance of the Variable Depth Sonar on board.
Donato Amoroso
“We are extremely proud to work alongside the Italian Navy, helping to deliver faster and more efficient support services. We thank the Italian Navy for granting access to the seafront facility at Taranto Arsenal, where our Italian technical team operates. This hub enables us to carry out all levels of maintenance, from straightforward component replacements to the most complex tasks. With this initiative, we underscore our strong commitment and the value of Italian know-how in service of Italian defence,” says Donato Amoroso, CEO & Country Director, Thales Italia.