With more than 1,100 employees, the Limours factory tests the radars’ antennas in blue-walled rooms designed to muffle echoes, before assembling them in a large area with a French flag and pictures of Ground Masters in action. Security is tight: An officer checks phones and pictures taken by visitors before they leave to make sure no industrial secrets are taken out of the facility.
Ongoing process
Since the war in Ukraine started, the French government has urged companies to produce more weapons, faster and cheaper.
However, the reality is complicated.
“It’s an ongoing process. Up until now, we were producing around 10 radars a year, now the target is over 20 a year,” Descourvieres said.
The company is revamping every part of the production line. The Limours factory now has four test chambers to fine-tune the antennas, up from three, and has set up 17 testing zones for the assembled radars, compared with a dozen a few months ago.
To speed up assembly, Thales coordinates with suppliers. “We need a perfect synchronization of arrivals of equipment to avoid waste and wait,” said Eric Marceau, the vice president of strategy for the radar business.
