page_title: Thomson-CSF
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Thomson-CSF / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Thomson CSF Cyrano IV Aircraft radar as fitted on the Mirage F1
context_page_description: Thomson-CSF was a French company that specialised in the development and manufacture of electronics with a heavy focus upon on the aerospace and defence sectors of the market.
  Thomson-CSF was formed in 1968 following the merge of Thomson-Houston-Hotchkiss-Brandt with the Compagnie Générale de Télégraphie Sans Fil, these two companies being the source of the name Thomson-CSF. It operated as an electronics specialist on products such as broadcasting equipment, electroacoustics, shortwave radio sets, radar systems and television. During the 1970s, the company diversified manufacturing backend telephony equipment, semiconductors, and medical imaging apparatus. It also began to strike major deals outside of the domestic market as well, acquiring considerable business from the Middle East.
  During the late 1980s, Thomson-CSF, anticipating defense spending cutbacks, conducted a radical business restructuring, merging its semiconductor interests with those of the Italian defense group Finmeccanica and exchanging its medical imaging technology for General Electric's consumer electronics businesses.
context_section_description: Thomson-CFS can trace its origins back to the formation of the American business Thomson-Houston Electric Company by Elihu Thomson and Edwin Houston in 1879. On 15 April 1892, the Thomson-Houston Electric Company merged with its long-term rival, the Edison General Electric Company, to form General Electric (GE); that same year, the company formed an overseas subsidiary, named Thomson Houston International, based in France. During 1893, Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston (CFTH) was established as a partner to GE. CFTH's operations centered around the application of GE's patents in the growing electricity generation and transmission industry. It is from this company that the modern Thomson companies would evolve.
  During 1966, CFTH merged with armaments and vehicle manufacturer Hotchkiss-Brandt to form Thomson-Houston-Hotchkiss-Brandt, which was subsequently renamed Thomson-Brandt. Two years later, the electronics business of Thomson-Brandt merged with Compagnie Générale de Télégraphie Sans Fil (General Wireless Telegraphy Company, commonly abbreviated as CSF) to form Thomson-CSF. Prior to the merger, CFS had operated as a pioneer in the fields of broadcasting, electroacoustics, shortwave radio, radar systems and television. Thomson Brandt maintained a significant shareholding in the merged company (approximately 40%).
  During the 1970s, Thomson-CSF received its first major contract in the Middle Eastern market; it was in this period that the company diversified into several new sectors, leading to it manufacturing backend telephony equipment, semiconductors, and medical imaging apparatus. However, by the early 1980s, Thomson-CSF was in a relatively weak financial position with a high level of debt; while it possessed a highly diversified portfolio of businesses, its market share within the majority of these many sectors was viewed as being too small to be realistically profitable despite increasing business being received from overseas buyers at this time.
  During 1982, both Thomson-Brandt and Thomson-CSF were nationalised by France's Mitterrand government; as a consequence, Thomson-Brandt was renamed Thomson SA (Société Anonyme) and merged with Thomson-CSF. Throughout the 1980s, the company's financial position improved dramatically as undertook a major reorganisation, focusing its efforts on the production of electronics for professional and defense customers. In 1983, it divested Thomson-CSF Téléphone , its civil telecommunications division, to telecommunications specialist Alcatel. Four years later, its semiconductor interests were merged with those of the Italian defense group Finmeccanica. That same year, Thomson-CSF's medical imaging technology was exchanged with GE for GE's RCA and consumer electronics businesses.
  During the late 1980s, Thomson-CSF, anticipating future defense spending cutbacks and a downturn in its lucrative export contracts, initiated a radical restructuring of its businesses with the aim of to maintaining its margins. A policy of proactive external growth was adopted, focusing on the European market; between 1987 and 1976, the company's non-French subsidiaries' share of consolidated revenues rose from 5% to 25%. During 1988, a new division, Thomson Consumer Electronics was formed; in 1995, this division was rebranded as Thomson Multimedia. During 1989, it acquired Philips' defence electronics business, Hollandse Signaalapparaten B.V.. During the 1990s, Thomson-CSF gained a controlling interest in Sextant Avionique, which was formed by the merge of the company's own avionics business with that of French aircraft manufacturer Aérospatiale. The company also divested its interests in the French bank Crédit Lyonnais and semiconductor manufacturer SGSThomson.
  During the late 1990s, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's Plural Left government initiated a policy towards the privatisation towards several state-owned companies, including Thomson-CSF. During April 1998, several of the affected companies, including Aérospatiale, Alcatel, Dassault Industries, Thomson-CSF and Thomson SA reached a cooperation a
caption: Thomson-CSF Cyrano IV airborne radar as used on the Dassault Mirage F1
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