Thales Optronics
Thales Optronics is an optronics maker and a division of the French defense company Thales Group. It is based in Paris and runs three main subsidiaries: Thales Optronique SA in France, Thales Optronics Limited in the United Kingdom, and Thales Optronics B.V. in the Netherlands.
The UK optronic business has its roots in Pilkington Optronics, created in 1988 to manage Pilkington’s optronics units. The UK operation is now Thales Optronics Limited, headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, with about 630 employees.
Its main products are infrared cameras, laser rangefinders, and cameras for use in airborne reconnaissance, armoured vehicle sighting, submarine periscopes, and target locators.
Key points in its history: the Taunton, Somerset facility closed in 2006 with about 180 job losses; in 2007 the company sold its beryllium mirrors and related structures business to GSI Group; and Thales Optronics Limited received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in June 2011.
Financials: In 2011, revenue was about £229 million with profits of £24.4 million (up from £212 million in 2010 and £14 million in 2010, respectively).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:35 (CET).