Thales to buy French underwater-drone maker Exail in $4.5 billion deal
PARIS and ROME – Thales agreed to buy 35.5% of French underwater-drone maker Exail Technologies from the Gorgé family, and plans to make a tender offer to buy the remainder of the company at an implied enterprise value of €3.9 billion (US$4.5 billion), beating a competing offer by Safran.