Thales launches SkyDefender air and missile defence dome

SkyDefender consists of a network of advanced sensors and effectors. (Eurosam)

Thales has launched the SkyDefender multilayer, multidomain integrated air and missile defence shield. The company said in a press release on 11 March that the system provides protection against all types of air threats, on land, at sea, and in space, integrating a network of advanced sensors and effectors with a command-and-control (C2) system.

SkyDefender has an open and modular architecture compatible with existing air-defence systems, according to Thales.

The company said SkyDefender also provides operational superiority and proactive defence against cyber attacks and evolving threats by combining Thales' cyber security and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) through its cortAIx AI accelerator.

Briefing journalists under embargo before the SkyDefender announcement, Hervé Dammann, Thales executive vice-president for land and air systems, said SkyDefender, supported by AI, consists of a network of sensors and effectors. The sensors include radars and satellites and the effectors include already existing guns and missiles, to which direct energy weapons can be added in the future thanks to SkyDefender's open, modular architecture, which also allows the integration of cyber security and AI, according to Dammann.

Multiple layers

SkyDefender is designed to protect against air threats ranging from a few to several thousand kilometres. Dammann said these can range from slow-moving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to hypersonic missiles.