The European multinational Thales exhibited various innovations at the Spanish FEINDEF exhibition, a market in which it has been operating for 50 years and where it operates in the areas of security, defense, space, cyberspace, and digital identity.
Among the new features is the briefing on the QKD-GEO mission, a dual project based on quantum technologies being carried out at Thales' Tres Cantos facilities. Thales is participating in the development of Europe's first geostationary quantum key distribution system, a technology that will revolutionize information security in government communications environments. The presentations were led by Ángel Álvaro, technical director of the initiative, and Pedro Pintó, director of innovation at Hispasat.
The project also includes field tests with a 140-km atmospheric link between the islands of La Palma and Tenerife, which will allow for functional validation of the system under representative environmental conditions, as a preliminary step to its implementation in an operational mission in orbit.
Another development was the ratification of the agreement between Thales and SAES for the integration of Thales' Sonoflash sonobuoys into the SAES Acoustic Processing System (SPAS) equipped with Spanish C295 maritime patrol aircraft.
The Thales Sonoflash represents a significant advance in this technology, combining high-speed communication with exceptional acoustic performance. It is interoperable with advanced sonar systems, improving ASW operations through more precise data processing. According to Jesús Sánchez Bargos, President and CEO of Thales in Spain. “This agreement represents an example of successful cooperation between Thales and SAES and guarantees timely and appropriate innovation.”
Thales participated in three roundtables during FEINDEF. On May 12th, "AI in the Value Chain: Resilience, Advanced Logistics, and the Future of Military Sustainment," where Christophe Meyer, CTO of the Thales CortAIx lab, spoke about AI in critical environments. On May 13th, "Cyberdefense in the New Strategic Environment: Protecting the Digital Domain in Times of Hybrid Warfare" took place, led by Igor Unanue, CTO of Thales' Cybersecurity department, who spoke about the application of cybersecurity in defense. Also on the same day, "Cyberspace as an Operational Domain: Maneuver, Deterrence, and Digital Superiority" took place, with the participation of David Conde, director of the SOC in Madrid.
