Thales has introduced SkyDefender, a multi-layer, multi-domain integrated air and missile defense architecture designed to protect against aerial threats on land, at sea and in space.
The aerospace and defense company said Wednesday that the system can rapidly respond to increasingly complex and unpredictable attacks, ranging from drone swarms to hypersonic missile threats. SkyDefender leverages cortAIx, Thales’ artificial intelligence accelerator for critical systems.
“Thales is proud to contribute to the sovereignty of our nations with SkyDefender, the global air and missile defense dome based on our latest advanced technologies, from counter-drone protection to early warning capacities,” Herve Dammann, executive vice president land and air systems at Thales, stated. “With SkyDefender Thales provides a combat-proven system, easy-to-integrate and available today, confirming our position as a long-term trusted partner for the armed forces.”
Public sector leaders, such as Cameron Stanley, the Pentagon’s chief digital and AI officer, will discuss the deployment of AI, machine learning and automation capabilities to support defense missions at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18. Get your tickets here.
What Is SkyDefender?
SkyDefender is an integrated air and missile defense architecture designed to detect, track and defend against threats across multiple engagement ranges.
For short-range protection, Thales offers ForceShield, which creates a protective bubble around forces and sensitive locations against threats such as drones and other low-altitude targets.
The system is also equipped with SAMP-T NG developed by Eurosam, a joint venture between Thales and MBDA, and Thales’ Ground Fire radar to deliver medium-range defense.
For long-range threats, SkyDefender integrates advanced radar and space-based detection capabilities. Thales’ SMART-L MM and ultra-high frequency radars can detect targets, including ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft, at distances of up to 5,000 kilometers.
Thales Alenia Space, a Thales-Leonardo joint venture, provides an early warning system from orbit that, when combined with ground-based UHF advanced long-range radars, can deliver permanent surveillance, early detection and trajectory follow-up of long-range threats.
How Is Thales Delivering AI-Powered Defense Capabilities?
The company has applied AI technologies to multiple defense platforms, including command-and-control systems and autonomous maritime operations. In December, Thales secured a contract with the U.K. Ministry of Defence to develop portable autonomous command centers for the Royal Navy’s minehunting operations.
Thales has also delivered an AI-powered mine countermeasures system to the Republic of Singapore Navy, designed to enhance mine detection and classification while reducing operator workload.