Strengthened partnership between Thales and AIO supports Egypt’s drive for technological sovereignty and regional leadership

Strengthened partnership between Thales and AIO supports Egypt’s drive for technological sovereignty and regional leadership

(IN BRIEF) Thales and Arab International Optronics have expanded their long-standing partnership to support Egypt’s efforts to strengthen technological self-reliance and industrial capability in defence and advanced systems. The reinforced cooperation spans six key areas, including the launch of a Thales Academy in Egypt, joint development of fire control system upgrades, new laser-guided RCWS capabilities, enhanced surveillance solutions, a dedicated service center for Thales thermal imagers and deeper supply-chain integration. The partnership builds on more than 50 years of collaboration and leverages the expertise of over 800 engineers to produce “Made in Egypt” solutions. Thales CEO Sherif Barakat said the collaboration contributes to establishing Egypt as a regional technology hub, while AIO continues to play a critical national role through its extensive electro-optical manufacturing capabilities and export activities.

(PRESS RELEASE) DUBAI, 3-Dec-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Thales and Arab International Optronics (AIO) have announced a significant expansion of their long-established collaboration, marking a new phase in Egypt’s drive toward technological sovereignty, industrial capability, and regional leadership in defence and advanced technologies. The strengthened partnership builds on more than half a century of cooperation, during which Thales has remained a committed strategic partner to the Arab Republic of Egypt. Today, that foundation is reinforced through a joint commitment to develop “Made in Egypt” solutions supported by more than 800 engineers and specialists.

At the center of this renewed cooperation is a shared plan to deepen joint activities across six strategic domains. These include a major new investment in human capital through the creation of a Thales Academy in Egypt, as well as expanded cooperation between AIO and Thales entities in France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Germany to support a wide range of defence technologies.

The six priority areas include:

Training and Talent Development:
A new Thales Academy will be established in Egypt to deliver advanced training in optronics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, radio telecommunications and radar systems. Courses will be taught by Thales-certified experts, and the initiative will also facilitate collaboration with Egyptian and French universities to cultivate next-generation skills.

Fire Control Systems (FCS):
AIO and Thales will jointly develop an upgrade kit for heavy armoured vehicles, bringing together AIO’s established strengths in fire control systems and Thales’ expertise in precision optronics. This cooperation aims to significantly enhance effectiveness and battlefield performance.

Remote Controlled Weapon Systems (RCWS):
Building on AIO’s RCWS portfolio, the partners will design a laser-guided rocket variant of the AIO X29, integrating Thales’ advanced guidance technologies to expand operational capability.

Surveillance Solutions:
Egypt’s armed forces will receive a field-proven surveillance solution combining Thales’ ground radars with handheld thermal imagers, coordinated through a unified command-and-control interface. This man-portable system enables rapid detection, classification, and response to potential threats.

Service Centre Development:
A dedicated facility will be established within AIO to maintain and service Thales handheld thermal imagers currently deployed by Egyptian forces, strengthening local support and readiness.

Supply Chain Cooperation:
Thales will expand the integration of AIO-manufactured components and sub-assemblies into its global supply chain. This deeper industrial alignment will help increase Thales’ production efficiency and competitiveness while further enhancing AIO’s manufacturing capabilities.

Sherif Barakat, CEO of Thales in Egypt, said the enhanced collaboration underscores Thales’ commitment to supporting Egypt’s ambitions. “By further anchoring Thales’ advanced solutions within Egypt, both our companies are committed to transforming Egypt into a regional technology hub capable of supporting and exporting high-value, locally produced solutions.”

AIO, a cornerstone of Egypt’s defence-industrial ecosystem, continues to provide essential optical and electro-optical systems to the Egyptian Armed Forces, while also exporting its products to allied countries. The company operates nine advanced factories and is recognized as a regional leader in day, night, thermal and laser technologies for military and civilian applications.

About Arab International Optronics

Arab International Optronics (AIO) is a distinguished, longstanding national industrial pillar, strategically established by the Egyptian Armed Forces to meet the nation’s requirements across both military and civilian sectors by manufacturing essential optical and electro-optical equipment. Operating nine state-of-the-art factories

AIO is recognized as one of the region’s premier industrial strongholds in advanced electro-optical systems, including day, night, thermal, and laser technologies.

Beyond its crucial role as a supplier to the Armed Forces—providing critical equipment like advanced optical/electro-optical devices, laser systems, precision electronics, remote control weapon systems, integrated systems, and fire control systems—the company also significantly supports the national economy by exporting high-quality products to allied nations, thereby generating vital hard currency.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies in advanced for the Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries.

In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

About Thales in Egypt

Thales is a strategic local partner of the Arab Republic of Egypt, providing sovereign capabilities in Defence, Civil Aviation, Space, Enterprise and Cybersecurity markets, since 1973.

Thales contributes to Egypt’s growth and national sovereignty through local cooperation, sustainable industrial development and by fostering local talent.

Media Relations
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SOURCE: Thales