Thales to open what could be Japan’s first foreign-run defence maintenance base

Thales Sets Up Japan’s First Overseas Defence Maintenance Facility

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Will output nowThales Sets Up Japan’s First Overseas Defence Maintenance Facility

French defence company Thales SA will establish a maintenance and operational support base in Japan for military equipment, Nikkei reported on Monday, but neither an opening date nor a location has been revealed.

Chairperson and chief executive Patrice Caine stated during an interview with Nikkei Business that the base “will mark a milestone toward Thales’s long‑term engagement in Japan.”

The facility could become the first base in Japan established by a foreign defence company to maintain military equipment and support its operations, the newspaper reported.

The new maintenance base will inspect the condition of military hardware and diagnose faults, according to Nikkei. Initially, it will concentrate on equipment for the Maritime Self‑Defence Force, with plans to broaden its services to the Ground and Air Self‑Defence Forces.

Caine highlighted technologies such as radar and sonar as promising areas for collaboration with Japan, noting that he hopes to “provide support in sectors where Thales holds a technological advantage.”

The scope of the facility may later encompass civilian equipment, the publication added.

The announcement arrives as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi continues to raise defense expenditures in response to rapid Chinese military development and advanced North Korean weapon programs.

In addition to maintenance initiatives, Thales is expanding its local production capabilities. It will transfer manufacturing expertise for its 2R2M heavy mortar system to Japan Steel Works, slated to start production in Japan in 2027, per Nikkei.

Thales has previously supplied Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with sonar systems for underwater vehicles employed by Japan’s Maritime Self‑Defence Force to locate mines.

Since 1970, the company has operated across defence, aerospace and digital security domains.

Its Warsaw stock ticker was up roughly 1.5 percent around noon on Monday.