Thales agrees to acquire French underwater-drone maker Exail at €3.9bn implied enterprise value, beating a competing Safran offer

Thales, the French defence electronics group, has agreed to buy a 35.5% stake in Exail Technologies from the Gorgé family and plans to launch a mandatory tender offer (an obligation to bid for all remaining shares once a threshold stake is acquired) for the remainder, at an implied enterprise value of €3.9 billion (approximately $4.5 billion). The offer price of €134 per share represents a 44% premium to Exail's closing price on 25 June, the day before rival Safran announced talks with the Gorgé family at €128.50 a share. Safran confirmed it ended exclusive negotiations on 3 July after failing to reach mutually acceptable terms, leaving Thales as the sole bidder. Exail is a French manufacturer of maritime drones used in mine-hunting systems, surface and underwater robotics, and inertial navigation technology. Some 76% of its 2025 revenue of €479 million came from navigation and maritime robotics. Its order book stood at €1.1 billion at end-March 2026. Thales says the deal will help it gain critical mass in unmanned mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare, a segment forecast to grow in the high single digits through 2030, with the addressable market for unmanned anti-submarine warfare expected to grow eightfold by decade-end. Combined revenue synergies of up to €500 million are projected within ten years, with Exail expected to add to Thales earnings per share from year one and contribute more than €90 million to Thales operating profit by 2032. The purchase of the Gorgé family stake is expected to close in Q3 2026. Thales will then file the mandatory tender offer, with full completion expected by early 2028 at the latest. No legal advisers were named in the sources.

Sign up to read →