ELT Group and Thales sign JV for naval electronic warfare exports

ELT Group and Thales DMS formally announce the establishment of a joint venture, equally owned by the two companies. The joint venture, named ‘Thales ELT Naval EW Solutions’, is set to strengthen ELT and Thales position and to be a leading European company in Naval Electronic Warfare (EW), to address the opportunities arising from this rapidly growing strategic market and to accelerate the development of advanced solutions for the protection of naval platforms. The new company will draw on the combined expertise and product portfolios of both Groups, underpinned by more than two decades of collaboration between ELT and Thales and by the experience developed through the SIGEN consortium in support of the Italian and French Navies. With a dedicated focus on the expanding export market, Thales ELT Naval EW Solutions will combine the Naval Electronic Warfare product portfolios of ELT and Thales, providing international customers with a comprehensive and complementary range of advanced solutions integrating Electronic Support Measures and Electronic Countermeasures to enhance their operational effectiveness and crew safety. This initiative represents a strategic step to consolidate the long‑term positioning of ELT and Thales in the domain of Naval Electronic Warfare, while strengthening industrial cooperation between Italy and France in a sector of high technological and security value. Under the company’s governance arrangements, for the initial term Matthieu Bouquet, appointed by Thales, will serve as Chairman, while Gianni Maratta, appointed by ELT, will serve as Chief Executive Officer. Domitilla Benigni, CEO & COO of ELT Group, said: “This new industrial collaboration with Thales on the challenges of naval EW amplifies the strength of our respective capabilities and excellence, while consolidating a long‑term industrial and programme partnership.” Philippe Duhamel, Executive Vice-President Defence Mission Systems, Thales: “This milestone in our partnership with ELT Group reinforces our commitment to jointly expand our capabilities in the development of sophisticated technologies for the electromagnetic spectrum in Naval Electronic War.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]