The Ivorian Army is set to bolster its defense capabilities by acquiring three GM200 radars from Thales in a deal estimated at €50 million. The first Thales Ground Master 200 (GM200) radar is expected to be delivered by March, with plans to order an additional three units in 2025.
Thales will supply the Ivorian Army with one Ground Master 400 (GM400) long-range radar and two Ground Master 200 (GM200) medium-range radars. These radars are intended to protect Ivory Coast’s northern borders with Mali from potential attacks by armed groups and to enhance the nation’s airspace security against missiles and drones.
The Ivorian Army already operates two long-range Ground Master 400 (GM400) radars, strengthening their existing defense infrastructure.
Thales’s GM radar family includes the GM200, which has a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles), and the GM400 Alpha, which boasts enhanced processing power and an extended range of 500 kilometers (311 miles).
Previously, Thales supplied the Ground Master 400 long-range air surveillance radars to Senegal, with the first set delivered in 2019. The system was integrated with Senegal’s SkyView command-and-control system at Ouakam Air Base in Dakar.
Thales also sold the Ground Master 400 to Morocco on July 2021, under a contract signed in 2019, in addition to a previous order placed in 2013.
Egypt also acquired four GM400 units in May 2021.
In response to growing international demand, Thales ramped up production of air surveillance radars last April. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the company aims to double the production of its Ground Master (GM) radars. He noted that the increasing demand is driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has underscored the need for advanced radar systems.
Thales has reportedly sold over 200 GM radars since 2008, with 40 purchased in 2023 alone.
In the meantime, Thales is reorganizing its West Africa operations. The company is merging its Ivory Coast and Senegal subsidiaries into a single entity called Thales West Africa, to be led by Jean-Baptiste Bertrand, currently the managing director of Thales Ivory Coast.
This reorganization is part of Thales’s broader strategy to consolidate its operations in Africa. The company has also merged its Morocco and Tunisia operations into Thales North Africa.
Thales’s West Africa operations focus on providing security and defense solutions to governments and businesses in the region. The company has a strong presence in Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Nigeria, securing several major contracts in recent years.
The reorganization of Thales’s West Africa operations occurs as the company faces challenges in the region, including political instability in Mali, which has led to the cancellation of several Thales contracts.
