Thales Defence Orders Surge 75% in Q1, Lifted by Geopolitical Tensions

French defence and technology company Thales said orders for its defence business jumped by 75% in the first quarter to €2.24bn, up from €1.3bn a year earlier. The company also reported a nearly 10% rise in sales for the first three months of 2026, reaching €5.31bn and beating expectations.

"As recent events, particularly in the Middle East, reinforce the relevance of its solutions, especially in the fields of air surveillance and air defence as well as underwater mine warfare, Thales continues to benefit from sustained demand across its entire portfolio," read the statement.

Total orders for the first quarter of 2026 came to €4.65bn, up 27% from the same period in 2025, driven largely by several big orders from European countries. The company recorded seven orders worth more than €100 million each, five of which were defence-related. This compares with one in the same period of 2025.

Thales' defence-related large orders in the first quarter included a contract to modernise equipment supporting France's nuclear deterrence, as well as orders from the Danish Ministry of Defence and the Qatar Emiri Air Force, according to the company's statement.

Sales in the defence segment reached €3bn, up 14.3% year-on-year. The company's other businesses, aerospace and cyber & digital, also grew, with sales rising by 5.9% and 2%, respectively.

"Amid continued geopolitical uncertainty, Thales' solutions, centred on security, sovereignty, and innovation, clearly demonstrate their relevance. Benefiting from unique visibility across our activities, we confirm all our annual financial targets for 2026," said Patrice Caine, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, in a statement.

Thales said it expects sales to grow by between 6% and 7% this year, to €23.3 to €23.6 billion, with profit margins between 12.6% and 12.8%. Thales' share price was down 2.7% in morning trading in Europe.