Nexter, Thales start talks about Alliance

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Defense News - France
 

Sunday, March 06, 2011, 11:16 AM

 

Nexter, Thales start talks about Alliance

 
 
Nexter is in preliminary talks with Thales as a possible alliance partner in a restructuring of the French land systems sector, Nexter Executive Chairman Philippe Burtin said March 4.
     
Nexter is in preliminary talks with Thales as a possible alliance partner in a restructuring of the French land systems sector, Nexter Executive Chairman Philippe Burtin said March 4.
Nexter's XP2: Technology demonstrator for VBMR
     

The discussions with Thales were part of "preliminary, non-binding and non-exclusive" talks, which included other companies in France and Europe, aimed at industry consolidation, Burtin told analysts and journalists as he unveiled Nexter's 2010 results.

State-owned Nexter pursued a "strategy of sector" in its talks, Burtin said. In the land sector, Thales has the TDA munitions and mortar business, and its Australian unit builds the Bushmaster armored vehicle, he said.
The discussions over a potential partnership were also at the program level, namely the Véhicule Blindé Multi-Role multirole troop carrier, which Nexter hopes to win in an international tender expected to be launched toward the end of this year, Burtin said.

Thales Executive Chairman Luc Vigneron said Feb. 14 the electronics company "could not remain indifferent to changes in the land defense sector."