Thales flies at the Paris Stock Exchange with US Air Force order. Towards EU meeting on satellites

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Thales is soaring on the Paris Stock Exchange after announcing a commitment from the US Air Force and ahead of tomorrow's meeting with EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera together with Leonardo and Airbus on the satellite dossier. Thales' share price is up more than 5%, making it the leading constituent of the Cac 40 index.

Also in Paris Airbus advanced by more than two percentage points and in Milan Leonardo rebounded sharply, excelling among the components of the Ftse Mib. After the slips of the last two sessions due to the 'tariff war', in fact, it is the entire defence sector that is recovering at least partially. In Frankfurt Rheinmetall rebounded over four percentage points; Renk also bought well. In Stockholm, Saab rocketed 8%, thanks in part to positive comments from analysts. Thales, for its part, announced a US order which, given the high tensions between the two sides of the Atlantic, has a particular impact, especially as it highlights the interconnection also in the defence sector.

The French company announced that its US subsidiary Thales Defense & Security, Inc. has been awarded a contract by the Nato Support and Procurement Agency (Nspa) for Scorpion helmet-mounted displays 'to support the modernisation' of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) F-16s. As a press release explained, the Scorpion Hmd (Helmet mounted display, ed) kits 'provide a modern digital platform that enables enhanced pilot situational awareness with colour symbology and a single display for day and night operations'. The new devices will replace the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System and provide the USAF with a common solution for Air Force, Air National Guard, and USAF Reserve F-16s. The contract will be managed by Thales Visionix, a division of Thales Defense & Security, which is 'a world leader in the development and integration of advanced optics, motion tracking and symbology for fixed- and rotary-wing Hmd'. The market is also awaiting the meeting with EU Antitrust Commissioner Ribera of Airbus, Thales and Leonardo, who are discussing a possible merger of their satellite activities. The three groups are aiming to create a joint company in an attempt to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink. Preliminary discussions are currently underway with the EU antitrust authorities, a step that usually precedes a formal application for merger clearance. Usually in these types of meetings, company executives inform EU decision-makers about the deal they plan to implement and to get an idea of potential obstacles in the regulatory process, such as remedies to address antitrust concerns.