Thales and Destinus announced at the Eurosatory 2026 defence exhibition a cooperation agreement covering long-range engagement, counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), and ground-based air target engagement.
According to Thales, the partnership combines Destinus's portfolio of interceptors and effectors with Thales's expertise in air defence systems and AI for critical systems.
The parties have identified five areas of cooperation: delivery of key components, including military warheads and NATO-compatible components; joint production of the Hornet interceptor system at qualified manufacturing facilities; interoperability between Hornet and Thales C-UAS and radar solutions; development of long-range effectors deployable from tactical transport aircraft; and ground-based air target engagement with support for NATO's integrated architectures.
"Layered air defence only works when systems are designed to work together from the outset, not when interoperability is added as an afterthought. By combining Thales's expertise in air defence, radar, and critical systems with our interceptor architecture, we can close the kill chain from detection to engagement more rapidly, while keeping engagement decisions precisely where they belong: with the operator," said Tim Moser, Chief Technology Officer at Destinus, in the statement.