Thales
French defence and technology group making radar, sonar, air-defence missiles and autonomous mine-hunting systems.
On 6 July, Thales agreed to acquire Exail Technologies for €3.9bn, adding uncrewed underwater and surface vehicles to its sonar business.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 6 active topics
Thales sonar sails toward Hormuz aboard a crewless minehunter: will the MMCM programme prove its case under fire?
Timeline for Thales
Mentioned in: UK awards Tekever up to £400m for AR5
Drones: Industry & DefenceMentioned in: Belgium buys Exail mine kit for Ukraine
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaMentioned in: OMS Group orders a second DriX vessel
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaMentioned in: Japan asks for missile tubes on UUVs
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaMentioned in: AEVEX bids up to $650m for BlackSea
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaBackground
Thales is a French defence and technology group making radar, sonar, military avionics, air-defence systems, cybersecurity tools and autonomous maritime systems. Its relevance rests on the combination of sensors, command systems and platforms used in contested air and SEA environments.
The group's maritime work includes sonar for mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare. On 4 August, the Netherlands authorised work on uncrewed anti-submarine vessels that will carry an adapted Thales Compact FLASH dipping sonar.
Air defence is another lasting part of Thales's portfolio. France's 16 March decision to transfer eight SAMP/T NG systems to Ukraine placed Thales Ground Fire radar in a European air-defence system intended as an alternative to Patriot.
Thales broadens its undersea portfolio
On 6 July, Thales agreed to acquire Exail Technologies for €3.9bn. The proposed deal would bring autonomous underwater and surface vehicles, plus navigation systems, under the same owner as Thales's sonar business.
That changes Thales's position from sensor supplier to a group able to offer sensors and vehicle systems together. On 3 September, OMS Group ordered a second Exail DriX O-16 for subsea-cable survey and monitoring. The repeat order gives the vehicle business a recorded civilian use case while the acquisition awaits completion.
Thales sonar enters Gulf operations
In early June, Lyme Bay embarked France's Sirius mine-hunting drone alongside the Royal Navy's Ariadne before sailing towards the strait of Hormuz. Thales supplies TSAM sonar to the Anglo-French mine-countermeasures programme behind those systems.
On 23 June, Lyme Bay reached the Middle East carrying the two robotic minehunters and more than 270 personnel. For Thales, the deployment placed its sonar within an allied package near a shipping route disrupted by Iranian minelaying, rather than only in a bilateral development programme.
Thales buys Exail for €3.9bn
Where does Thales' TSAM sonar operate in the Middle East?
What is the Anglo-French MMCM programme?
What is Thales TSAM sonar and what is it used for?
Recently resolved
How does the SAMP/T NG compare with the US Patriot missile system?
Why did Thales buy Exail Technologies?
What is the S3NS cloud joint venture between Thales and Google?
Why did the EU sovereign cloud award to S3NS cause controversy?
What is the SAMP/T NG and how is Thales involved?
Does Thales own a majority of S3NS?
How much did Thales pay for Exail Technologies?
Why was Thales' S3NS awarded a sovereign cloud contract at a lower tier?
