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Thales Australia delivers new 'Angel' autonomous ground vehicle. 02/08/2026 Thales Australia has designed, built and successfully completed a live-fire test of its newest autonomous innovation, the Guardian Angel - an 8x4 UGV prototype at the company's Lithgow site in regional NSW. Adapted from a development UGV and delivered through a partnership with some of Australia's most forward-leaning defence and technology organisations, the project showcases Thales Australia's sovereign industrial strength, ability to meet the nation's defence and security needs, and capacity to deliver and manufacture autonomous systems and solutions. The Guardian Angel highlights both the technical expertise of Thales' engineering teams and the manufacturing capabilities of the Lithgow precinct. The prototype and capability test paves the way for future UGV platforms and variants. The UGV was developed in partnership with Chaos 1 - an SME specialising in the rapid assessment, prototyping and experimentation of autonomous systems; and W & E Platt - a leader in the design and manufacture of weapon Mounting Systems; and demonstrates the power of Australian industry working together at pace. Guardian Angel is named after a role served by Australian soldiers in the middle east who were tasked with protecting Australian forces by watching their backs when they were exposed in dangerous environments. Designed to reduce risk to soldiers, the Guardian Angel can be partnered with Thales' suite of Protected Mobility Vehicles, including the Bushmaster, StrikeMaster and Hawkei. Operating in concert, these platforms offer enhanced tactical flexibility and expanded mission options for the Australian Defence Force, while placing technology in harm's way rather than defence personnel. Engineered for performance and protection, the UGV features: * Adaptability, with a containerised mission system allowing Medevac, scout, troop support, fire support, and transport variants. * Payload integration with W & E Platt's powerful remote weapon system * A slim design allowing tactical agility * A secure and resilient communications suite By leveraging complementary expertise, the cross-industry team delivered a functional, Australian-designed defence capability in just six weeks. Andrew Downes, VP, Land Thales Australia, said: "Guardian Angel has been built leveraging Thales Australia's expertise in manufacturing, cutting-edge technology and integration, protected mobility vehicle design and industry partnerships. The Thales team, in partnership with Chaos 1 and W & E Platt, have delivered this UGV in an extremely compressed time-frame, which is a testament to the skill, dedication and expertise of the workforce at Lithgow. UGVs can preserve soldiers by operating in high-risk environments while providing a clear tactical advantage, assisting operations on the battlefield. They offer scalable, agile, cost-effective capability that can increase operational reach without increasing risk to personnel. Thales Australia is proud to continue strengthening sovereign industrial capability in this country." Benny Johanson, Founder & CEO Chaos 1, said: "Rapid prototyping in true form - little time, extremely chaotic, and high-risk. In just six weeks we moved from a concept graphic to live-fire demonstration and many said it couldn't be done. What the Guardian Angel project proved is the sheer horse-power industry can generate for the warfighter at speed, and a bright future for Lithgow." Allan Platt, W & E Platt Director, said: "The Guardian Angel project demonstrated that coordinated Australian industry collaboration creates a seamless pipeline from rapid prototyping to sovereign manufacturing to deliver a defence-ready capability. For our team, the project went well beyond integrating a payload onto an uncrewed platform. It was a powerful demonstration that the Australian industry possesses the vision and momentum to meet emerging operational needs with speed, innovation and sovereign control."

Nigerian firms can now access top-tier CrowdStrike security locally via eProcess. eProcess Consulting becomes Africa's first CrowdStrike Elite Partner, signaling local firms can deploy advanced global cybersecurity tools. A Nigerian cybersecurity firm has reached the highest partnership tier with a major global security vendor for the first time, a move that changes how African banks, government agencies, and enterprises can access and implement advanced cyber defenses. Lagos-based eProcess Consulting has become CrowdStrike's first Elite Partner in Africa, the company announced this week. The designation is the top rung in CrowdStrike's three-level Accelerate Reseller Partner Program, which runs from Associate through Focus to Elite. Not just a sales trophy. The title is not handed out for moving boxes. According to a report by Innovation Village, CrowdStrike's program requires partners to prove "certified technical expertise, successful customer deployments, consistently high customer satisfaction and sustained year-over-year growth in their CrowdStrike practice." This means eProcess, founded in August 2010 as an information security firm, has demonstrated it can do more than resell software licenses. The firm, which operates from Ikeja, Lagos, now stands as a fully certified local integrator for the AI-native Falcon platform that covers endpoint, cloud, and identity protection. What this means for African institutions. For a continent navigating tightening data protection rules - from Nigeria's NDPC to cross-border compliance demands - a locally rooted Elite partner removes a long-standing bottleneck. Enterprises previously had to rely on distant consultants or lower-tier partners to deploy and manage CrowdStrike's tools. Now, a firm with a Lagos address and African clientele holds the vendor's highest stamp of approval. The CrowdStrike Partner Locator describes eProcess as "a leading cybersecurity and technology consulting firm helping organizations identify, protect, detect, respond to, recover from, and govern cyber risks." The listing confirms the firm serves government, financial, enterprise, and SME clients. The broader context. eProcess is not CrowdStrike's only Elite partner on the continent. South Africa's Nclose, an Integrity360 company, also holds Elite status. However, available material positions eProcess as the first to reach the tier, marking Nigeria - and West Africa - as an emerging cybersecurity delivery hub that can rival South Africa's more established ecosystem. The achievement also fits a broader pattern. eProcess appears as a partner on other global platforms such as CyberArk and Thales, underscoring a trend where African integrators are embedding themselves across multi-vendor security stacks. The announcement was labeled as a "Brand Press" statement on Techpoint Africa's social channels, meaning it is a promotional disclosure rather than an independent editorial confirmation. Still, the partner locator data and the specific criteria for Elite status give the claim verifiable weight. For local CISOs and IT buyers, the signal is practical: advanced Falcon deployments, supported by certified local engineers, are now within closer reach. Help others discover this story

Thales and Exail Technologies announced an agreement for Thales to acquire all shares and bonds of Exail Technologies, excluding the 35.51% held by the Gorgé family. The mandatory tender offer values shares at €134.00. Exail's Board of Directors unanimously supports the transaction, following guidance from an independent expert. The deal requires standard regulatory approvals, expected by the third quarter of 2027. After regulatory clearance, the tender offer will proceed, with completion targeted for early 2028. The acquisition represents a strategic expansion for Thales in technology sectors.