Thales sales rise on rearmament, satellites

Thales said third-quarter sales and orders rose as the French aerospace and defence group benefited from higher European spending on weapons and satellite communication systems.

Sales rose nine percent to 5.5 billion euros, or $6.2 billion, during the quarter. Orders for the first nine months of the year rose 15 percent to 19.1 billion euros.

Thales said key orders included work on the next-generation radar for France’s Rafale fighter jets, anti-missile systems and equipment for Eutelsat satellites to be used in Europe’s Iris2 communications system.

The company said it now expects 2026 revenue growth at the upper end of its 6–7 percent forecast range, with an operating margin between 12.6 percent and 12.8 percent.