Thales signed a strategic supply agreement for navigation systems will Tronics Microsystems, a French manufacturer of integrated custom MEMS components. Under the agreement, Tronics will produce vacuum-packaged inertial MEMS-sensing elements based on two design concepts that Thales invented, designed and patented to meet the navigation requirements of aircraft, satellites and other platforms. Both designs, one for accelerometers and one for gyroscopes, require advanced MEMS and vacuum-packaging technologies. "The MEMS technology is a major breakthrough that will introduce a navigation offer to many new civil and military markets by drastically reducing volume, weight, power consumption, and costs, and increasing reliability. This technology will drive the future of the navigation market in the same way as the ring laser gyro technology dominates the market today. As the leading driver of these two inertial technologies, Thales will be the sole European company capable of proposing a full range of navigation solutions to the market,” said Norbert Herail, director of navigation systems activities at Thales.