- Headquarters
- Paris, France · Europe
- Value chain
- Systems integration(Systems & services); also Hardware & devices
- What that means
- Joins products into systems and delivers programmes: defence and aerospace primes, system integrators, EPC contractors.
- Founded
- 1893
- Staff
- 83,000 (2024)
- Ownership
- Listed
- Listing
- EPA:HO on Google Finance
- Website
- thalesgroup.com
- Relevance
- Very high at its strongest, in Acoustic & Undersea Sensing
Paris, FranceIn 13 capabilities
Each capability the company is listed in, most relevant first: how experts in the field see its global relevance there, why it is listed and the source.
- Acoustic & Undersea SensingVery high
Sensing, Timing & Navigation · Design · listed #1 of 50
World's largest naval sonar house, supplying hull, towed-array (CAPTAS), submarine (Sonar 2076) and mine-hunting sonars plus FLASH dipping sonar to dozens of navies.
Relevance: World's largest naval sonar house
Connectivity, Cyber & Trust Technologies · Manufacture · listed #2 of 50
Through the former Gemalto, Thales is a top supplier of SIM/eSIM, payment and ID cards, ePassports, hardware security modules (Luna HSM) and the CipherTrust encryption and key-management platform.
Relevance: Top supplier of SIM, ID cards, ePassports and HSMs
Space Technologies · Manufacture · listed #4 of 50
Through Thales Alenia Space (67% owned, with Leonardo) it is Europe's other prime for telecom, navigation and science satellites, including the Iridium NEXT and SES O3b mPOWER-era payloads and the Space Inspire software-defined platform.
Relevance: Thales Alenia Space is a leading global satellite builder
- Radar & Radiofrequency SensingVery high
Sensing, Timing & Navigation · Design · listed #4 of 50
Europe's largest radar maker: Ground Master air-defence radars, SMART-L and Sea Fire naval radars, the RBE2 AESA for Rafale and civil air-traffic radars.
Relevance: Europe's largest radar maker across air, land and sea
Quantum Technologies · Manufacture · listed #4 of 50
Thales sells Luna HSMs with FIPS 140-3 validated PQC support, PQC-ready smart cards and 5G SIMs, and quantum-safe network encryptors for governments.
Relevance: Major HSM and smart card vendor with PQC
Sensing, Timing & Navigation · Manufacture · listed #5 of 50
Produces ring-laser and MEMS inertial reference systems (TopAxyz, TopStar) for military and civil aircraft, plus hybrid GNSS/INS and anti-jam navigation; ranks among the top international patent filers in this field.
Relevance: Major European inertial reference and navigation systems maker
Connectivity, Cyber & Trust Technologies · Manufacture · listed #5 of 50
Supplies SYNAPS and PR4G software-defined tactical radios, CONTACT programme radios and satellite payloads for resilient military and public-safety mesh networks.
Relevance: Major software-defined tactical radio supplier
Quantum Technologies · Integration · listed #9 of 50
Thales Alenia Space leads European space-QKD projects (TeQuantS, studies for the EuroQCI space segment and the IRIS2-linked quantum segment), and Thales integrates QKD into secure government networks.
Relevance: Leads European space-QKD and EuroQCI segment work
Sensing, Timing & Navigation · Integration · listed #12 of 50
Thales is a top European optronics house (Damocles/TALIOS pods, thermal sights), builds Earth-observation optical instruments through Thales Alenia Space and co-owns infrared detector maker Lynred.
Relevance: Top European optronics house for targeting and surveillance
Connectivity, Cyber & Trust Technologies · Manufacture · listed #17 of 50
European leader in encryption, hardware security modules (Luna), data security and identity (Imperva acquired 2023), and sovereign cyber defence.
Relevance: Leading encryption and HSM supplier
- Quantum Sensing & MetrologyModerate
Quantum Technologies · Integration · listed #21 of 50
Thales Research & Technology develops NV-diamond and SQUID-array RF sensors and cold-atom inertial sensors for defence navigation and detection.
Relevance: NV-diamond and cold-atom R&D for defence
- Energetic MaterialsModerate
Advanced Materials & Manufacturing · Operation · listed #26 of 50
Operates Australia's Mulwala propellant and explosives facility and Benalla munitions plant, producing nitrocellulose-based propellants and high explosives.
Relevance: Operates Australia's propellant facility
- Directed Energy TechnologiesModerate
Energy Technologies · Design · listed #27 of 50
Supplies ultra-intense lasers (e.g. the ELI-NP 10 PW system) and works on high-power microwave and laser counter-UAS effectors.
Relevance: Ultra-intense laser and HPM supplier.