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KNDS selects Thales Power Systems Solution for the Leopard 2 A8

  • KNDS awarded Thales a contract to deliver compact, programable and scalable High-Power Solid-State Power Distribution Boards (SSPDB) for the Leopard 2 A8 platform.
  • The SSPDB developed by Thales is designed to provide overcurrent and short circuit protection, and to enable smart electrical power management of protected vehicles.
  • A first, short-term delivery of SSPDBs will already take place in Q3 2024, followed by several hundred units by 2027.

In just a few months, KNDS and Thales engineering teams have jointly succeeded in adapting an SSPDB solution that meets the power management needs of the Leopard 2 A8. Thales will focus on making the High-Power SSPDB a successful product by concentrating on key performance areas of the SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) to meet the stringent and demanding power requirements.

Rated up to 160A per channel and with integrated current, temperature and voltage sensing, the multi-channel SSPDBs are designed to protect against overcurrent and short circuits and offer the flexibility to use pre-programmed operating profiles or real-time selections to enable intelligent power management in a variety of mission scenarios.

The first units will be integrated as early as Q3 2024. This time-critical collaboration demonstrates the ingenuity and agility of our two teams.

Under the KNDS contract, Thales will build hundreds of SSPDBs by 2027, using customization, manufacturing and testing processes already in use for the Thales Power Systems product line.

“With an expertise of more than 20 years, Thales is a global leader in the development and manufacture of Power Systems for protected vehicles. We are proud to have been awarded this contract by KNDS and are confident that this strong partnership will continue.” ​ Martin Bernhardsgrütter, Country Director, Thales Switzerland.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialized in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space, and Cybersecurity & Digital identity.

It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.