Thales Group

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Group.png Thales Group  
(Weapons manufacturerWebsiteRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
PredecessorThomson-CSF
Formation6 December 20000
Parent organizationThales Group
HeadquartersLa Défense, France
LeaderThales/CEO
Subgroups• Thales Communications
• Thales Air Defence
• Thales Underwater Systems
• Thales Nederland
• Thales Australia
• Thales Training & Simulation
• Thales Alenia Space
• Thales Optronics
• Thales Rail Signalling Solutions
• Thales Information System Belgium
• Thales UK
Staff63,730
Member ofAtlantic Council/Corporate Members
Large French weapons manufacturer

The Thales Group in 2015, was the 11th largest weapons manufacturer worldwide, and a leading developer of drones.[1]

History

The group Thomson-CSF was founded in 1968. In 1982 François Mitterrand nationalized it and merged it with Thomson-Brandt. In December 2000, this was renamed the Thales Group.

Leadership

Full article: Stub class article Thales/CEO

At least two Thales CEOs have visited the Bilderberg.

Corruption

Thales is said to be the only French defence group to permanently get mentioned in judicial affairs.[2]

Centralized slush fund

Michel Josserand, former head of THEC, a subsidiary of Thales, and Dominique Monleau, stated that Thales has a centralized slush fund that it uses to bribe officials.[3]

ANC

Schabir Shaik, the financial advisor to the president of the African National Congress party Jacob Zuma, was found guilty of organising a bribe on behalf of Thales.[4]

World Bank

In 2004 the World Bank’s Integrity Unit blacklisted Thales from any of the World Bank’s projects for one year because of its fraudulent practices in a US$6.9 million contract for the supply and maintenance of motorcycles in Cambodia.[5]

Taiwanese Naval Order

Around 1991-1993, French state owned Elf Aquitaine was involved (with other companies & countries) in selling frigates to Taiwan. On June 10, 2011 Thales Group and the French Government was ordered to pay 630 million euros (almost a billion US dollars) in fines after the courts heard that bribes had been paid to the Taiwanese government to win this large naval contract. Part (about 27%) of the responsibility was transferred to Thales Group because due to a series of takeovers, it held the legacy from Elf Aquitaine. To this day, this is the largest corruption case in French history. [6]


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References