Thales Training & Simulation

Thales Training & Simulation is a Thales Group business focused on simulation, synthetic training, and related support services for military, civil, and industrial users. Its capabilities include aircraft and helicopter simulators, military vehicle and land-system trainers, small-arms training systems, driver trainers, and operator-training simulators for industrial facilities. The business is particularly associated with military aviation and helicopter simulation, including systems that reproduce aircraft cockpits, vehicle environments, sensor and weapons interfaces, visual scenes, and operational procedures. The business traces its origins to Redifon, incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1946. It moved to Crawley in 1948, establishing a long-term engineering and manufacturing presence in West Sussex. In 1981, its name changed to Rediffusion Simulation Limited, reflecting the commercial value of the Rediffusion identity. Hughes Aircraft acquired the business in 1988, after which it operated as Hughes Rediffusion Simulation. Thomson-CSF acquired it in 1994 and renamed it Thomson Training & Simulation. Thomson-CSF also integrated the business with Link-Miles, a simulation company based in Lancing that it had acquired in 1990. Production was subsequently consolidated at the Manor Royal industrial estate in Crawley. The company became part of the Thales identity after Thomson-CSF rebranded itself as Thales in 2000. During the following period, Thales Training & Simulation supplied both equipment and long-term training services. Its work expanded beyond one-time simulator sales to include operation and support of training centres, synthetic-training services, and public-private or private-finance-based arrangements. Examples described in reference material include training services for Royal Air Force Tornado crews, Army Air Corps Lynx pilots, and several RAF simulator centres covering aircraft such as the Nimrod, C-130K, VC10, Tristar, Tucano, Jaguar, Tornado F3, and Sea King. In 2012, Thales sold its civilian fixed-wing simulation business to L-3 Communications. The transaction included the part of the Crawley facility responsible for full-flight-simulator design and manufacturing. L-3 incorporated the acquired activities into L-3 Link Simulation & Training, later associated with L3Harris. Thales retained its military and rotary-wing simulation activities, which remain the core of the Thales Training & Simulation subject. The business has manufacturing or operational capabilities in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Australia. Crawley is associated with military aircraft simulation and training support; Cergy-Pontoise supports military aircraft, helicopter, and land-vehicle simulation; Koblenz produces small-arms trainers; and Sydney serves Australasian requirements. The business also operates through international customer-support hubs, joint ventures, and project consortia. Its work with Eurocopter on Helisim illustrates the use of partnership models for helicopter synthetic training, while its participation in German NH90 training arrangements demonstrates the application of long-term service and PFI-style contracting outside the United Kingdom. Thales Training & Simulation has also participated in non-defence simulation projects. In the 1980s it collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering on the Advanced Technology Leisure Application Simulator, or A.T.L.A.S., a ride-system technology later used in attractions including Star Tours, Body Wars, and Iron Man Experience. This activity represents a historical extension of the company's motion-simulation and immersive-environment expertise beyond aviation and defence.

Thales Training & Simulation's lineage begins with Redifon, established in the United Kingdom in 1946. The business moved to the new town of Crawley in 1948, creating the site that later became an important centre for simulator development and manufacturing. In 1981, the parent company British Electric Traction renamed the business Rediffusion Simulation Limited, using the established Rediffusion name to strengthen its market identity. Hughes Aircraft acquired the company in 1988, leading to the Hughes Rediffusion Simulation name. The next major ownership change occurred in 1994, when the French industrial group Thomson-CSF acquired the business. Thomson-CSF renamed it Thomson Training & Simulation and combined it with Link-Miles, a simulation company acquired in 1990 and based in Lancing. Production activities were consolidated at the Manor Royal industrial estate in Crawley. Thomson-CSF had also developed a broader simulation portfolio through earlier and later acquisitions, including Burtek in the United States and the Australian simulation activities of Wormald Technology. In 2000, Thomson-CSF adopted the Thales name, and Thomson Training & Simulation became Thales Training & Simulation. Under the Thales identity, the business supplied a range of simulator products and services for military and civil customers. Its portfolio included fixed-base trainers, full-flight simulators with hydraulic or electric motion systems, helicopter simulators, military cockpit and vehicle trainers, and systems for ground and maritime environments. Product development included the RealitySeven full-flight-simulator family for fixed-wing applications and the Reality H family for helicopters. Thales also developed a service-led model around its hardware. Rather than only delivering individual devices, it provided synthetic training, simulator operation, maintenance, and customer support. Reference material describes training services for Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 pilots and navigators and for Army Air Corps Lynx Mk 7 and Mk 9 pilots. It also operated a number of RAF simulator training centres under a public-private partnership arrangement, covering platforms including Nimrod MR Mk2, C-130K, VC10, Tristar, Tucano, Jaguar, Tornado F3, and Sea King Mk3. Internationally, Thales participated in arrangements for NH90 helicopter synthetic training for the German Air Force and worked with Eurocopter through the Helisim helicopter-training venture. A strategic portfolio change came in 2012, when Thales sold its civilian fixed-wing simulation business to L-3 Communications. The deal included part of the Crawley plant and the primary design and manufacturing facilities for full-flight simulators. The transferred activities became part of L-3 Link Simulation & Training, while Thales retained military and rotary-wing simulation. In 2023, the divested business was sold by L3Harris to TJC and rebranded Acron Aviation. This sequence distinguishes the current Thales Training & Simulation subject from the civilian fixed-wing simulator business that formerly shared part of its heritage. The retained Thales business has manufacturing or support locations in Crawley in the United Kingdom, Cergy-Pontoise in France, Koblenz in Germany, and Sydney in Australia. The sites support military aircraft, helicopter, land-vehicle, and small-arms training products, with international support hubs and project partnerships extending the company's reach. Its product range also includes driver trainers for commercial and military vehicles and operator-training simulators for nuclear power facilities. The company has a further historical connection to location-based entertainment. During the 1980s, it worked with Walt Disney Imagineering on the Advanced Technology Leisure Application Simulator, a ride-system technology subsequently used for attractions including Star Tours, Body Wars, and Iron Man Experience. This project demonstrated how the company's motion and immersive-simulation capabilities could be adapted outside defence and aviation.

• 2023

  The divested civilian business is sold to TJC

  [1]Thales Training & Simulationen.wikipedia.org

  L3Harris sells the former civilian simulation business to TJC, after which it is rebranded Acron Aviation.

• 2012

  Civilian fixed-wing simulation activities are divested

  [1]Thales Training & Simulationen.wikipedia.org

  Thales sells its civilian fixed-wing simulation business and related Crawley facilities to L-3 Communications, retaining military and rotary-wing simulation.

• 2000

  The business adopts the Thales name

  [1]Thales Training & Simulationen.wikipedia.org

  After Thomson-CSF rebrands as Thales, Thomson Training & Simulation becomes Thales Training & Simulation.

• 1994

  Thomson-CSF takes ownership

  [1]Thales Training & Simulationen.wikipedia.org

  Thomson-CSF acquires and renames the business Thomson Training & Simulation, combining it with Link-Miles.

• 1988

  Hughes Aircraft acquisition

  [1]Thales Training & Simulationen.wikipedia.org

  Hughes Aircraft acquires the business, which operates as Hughes Rediffusion Simulation.

• 1981

  The business becomes Rediffusion Simulation Limited

  [1]Thales Training & Simulationen.wikipedia.org

  British Electric Traction changes the company's name to Rediffusion Simulation Limited.

• 1948

  Operations move to Crawley

  [1]Thales Training & Simulationen.wikipedia.org

  Redifon relocates to Crawley in West Sussex, establishing the site associated with its later British simulation activities.

• 1946

  Redifon is incorporated in the United Kingdom

  [1]Thales Training & Simulationen.wikipedia.org

  The business lineage of Thales Training & Simulation begins with the incorporation of Redifon.

A defence-oriented simulation and synthetic-training provider combining simulator engineering with long-term training operations, maintenance, and support. Its strongest identity is in military aviation, helicopter, and land-system training rather than in the civilian fixed-wing full-flight-simulator market, which Thales divested in 2012.

• Full-flight simulator

  RealitySeven

  A family of full-flight simulators developed for fixed-wing aircraft training. These systems provide an immersive cockpit environment and may use hydraulic or electric motion platforms, depending on configuration and training requirements.

• Helicopter simulator

  Reality H

  A helicopter-focused simulator family intended to reproduce rotary-wing flight tasks and cockpit procedures. It forms part of Thales Training & Simulation's retained military and rotary-wing training capability.

• Defence training system

  Military aircraft simulators

  Simulation systems for military aircraft that can reproduce cockpit controls, aircraft systems, operational procedures, and mission environments. They support both equipment-based instruction and broader synthetic training programmes for military customers.

• Military vehicle simulator

  Military vehicle and land-system trainers

  Trainers for land systems such as tanks, trucks, and other military vehicles. Depending on the application, the systems reproduce vehicle controls, crew stations, terrain, mission conditions, and operational handling.

• Weapons training simulator

  Small-arms trainers

  Simulator-based training systems for small-arms users in military and law-enforcement settings. The product range is associated with the company's German manufacturing activities.

• Vehicle simulator

  Driver simulators

  Training simulators for heavy goods vehicles, buses, and military vehicles. These systems allow drivers and crews to practise vehicle handling and operational scenarios in controlled environments.

• Training service

  Synthetic training services

  Long-term training and support services using networked or stand-alone simulators. The offering can include facility operation, maintenance, instructor support, training delivery, and performance of public-private or private-finance-based contracts.

• Industrial operator simulator

  Nuclear power-plant simulators

  Operator-training simulators designed to reproduce nuclear power-plant operating conditions and procedures. They extend the company's simulation expertise into industrial safety and operations training.

• 2012

  Divest the civilian fixed-wing simulation businessM&A

  Background

  Thales separated its civilian fixed-wing simulation activities from the military and rotary-wing activities it intended to retain.

  Action taken

  The civilian fixed-wing business and part of the Crawley facility, including full-flight-simulator design and manufacturing capabilities, were sold to L-3 Communications.

  Aftermath

  The transferred activities became part of L-3 Link Simulation & Training, while Thales Training & Simulation remained focused on military and helicopter simulation.

  Source

• 2000

  Adopt the Thales brandStrategy

  Background

  Thomson-CSF changed its corporate identity to Thales, requiring its training and simulation subsidiary to move from the Thomson Training & Simulation name to the Thales identity.

  Action taken

  The subsidiary became Thales Training & Simulation.

  Aftermath

  The business continued as part of Thales Group's broader aerospace, defence, and training portfolio.

  Source

1. 1Thales Training & Simulationen.wikipedia.org