The Exail booth at Euronaval in 2022. (Christina Mackenzie/Breaking Defense)
WASHINGTON — Thales will acquire a controlling stake in French maritime drone maker Exail Technologies, company officials announced today, as the French aerospace and defense firm expands its foothold in the undersea warfare arena.
Likewise, Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri announced today an agreement to acquire four underwater technology firms — Next Geosolutions, WSense, Graal Tech and Defcomm — for approximately €600 million ($686.5 million USD).
Thales said it is acquiring 35.5 percent of Exail shares from the Gorgé family. The purchase is slated to close by the end of summer 2027, according to Thales. Raphaël Gorgé is Exail’s chairman and chief executive officer, and the family has been the controlling shareholder of the company.
“With this acquisition, Thales and Exail plan to join forces,” Patrice Caine, chairman and chief executive officer of Thales, said in a statement today. “Together, thanks to our talents and capabilities, we will strengthen our high-technology industrial base and innovation for our world-class defence and civil customers, while reinforcing Europe’s technological sovereignty.”
