Thales Acquires Exail: Focus on Underwater Drones

Access? Thales is Interested in Submarine Drone Manufacturer Exail

2026-07-08 Source: Reuters | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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According to recent reports, the French defence contractor Thales is acquiring Exail Technologies, a company specialising in the development and construction of underwater drones.

Underwater drones are the field in which the specialists at Exail Technologies operate. Now Thales, a defence contractor also based in France, has set its sights on the company with a view to acquiring it.(Source: Exail Technologies) — Underwater drones are the field in which the specialists at Exail Technologies operate. Now Thales, a defence contractor also based in France, has set its sights on the company with a view to acquiring it.
(Source: Exail Technologies)

The French defence contractor Thales plans to acquire its “fellow French company” Exail, based in La Garde. As a first step, the French company is acquiring the shares held by the founding Gorgé family, according to the report. Thales is offering 134 euros per share for the 35.51 percent stake, the company recently announced. This represents a 44 percent premium over Exail’s share price (as of June 26). With this acquisition, Thales aims to strengthen its position in the underwater warfare market and expand its capabilities in the field of navigation, according to further information. Incidentally, competitor Safran was also interested in acquiring the company, which is valued at two billion euros, but announced on Friday that it was withdrawing from the negotiations. Thales expects the merger to generate annual revenue and cost synergies of over 90 million euros by 2032. Exail’s stock subsequently surged by nearly 600 percent, as investors are evidently betting that rising defence spending and changing military requirements will boost demand for drones.

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