Thales and the Dutch Ministry of Defence have signed an agreement to expand radar production and testing infrastructure in the Netherlands.

The initiative will focus on Thales’ facilities in Hengelo, in the eastern part of the country, and include the construction of new testing and manufacturing infrastructure.

Planned investments include a near-field radar test site equipped with an anechoic chamber, expanded production capacity for complex printed circuit boards, and an additional radar test tower.

The agreement also provides for the development of training facilities.

Thales expects the project to increase antenna production capacity by 60 percent between this year and 2028.

“Due to the rapid technological developments and the deteriorating global security situation, the Dutch Ministry of Defence has identified an urgent need to increase the availability and scalability of critical radar capabilities for the protection of the Netherlands and Europe,” stated the company.

Recent Programs
The agreement follows several recent Thales programs spanning missile systems, unmanned platforms, and defense manufacturing initiatives.

Earlier this month, the company partnered with South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace to explore integrating Chunmoo guided rockets and missiles into the X-Fire launcher, a modular long-range fires system designed to support multiple munition types.

Thales has also joined forces with French aerospace company AURA AERO on the Enbata medium-altitude, long-endurance drone program.

The platform will incorporate Thales’ AirMaster C radar to support intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.

Separately, the company signed a deal with Renault Group to industrialize production of the Toutatis loitering munition.

The project combines Thales’ defense technologies with Renault’s manufacturing expertise and aims to significantly increase France’s domestic drone production capacity.

• The Defense Post