Thales UK is the United Kingdom subsidiary of Paris-headquartered Thales SA (Euronext Paris: HO), the French multinational defense, aerospace, cybersecurity, space and digital identity group. Operating from a UK headquarters at 350 Longwater Avenue, Green Park in Reading and across roughly 16 sites including Crawley, Glasgow, Belfast, Templecombe, Cheadle Heath and Bristol, Thales UK employs around 7,000 people and contributes approximately GBP 2 billion to UK GDP. Its UK business builds sonar, radar, electronic warfare, avionics, secure communications, training and simulation, advanced weapons (including the Starstreak air-defense missile and CAMM/Sea Ceptor missile guidance), unmanned systems (Watchkeeper, via the UAV Tactical Systems JV with Elbit Systems), Type 26 frigate sonar systems and secure digital identity products. The current Thales UK legal entity (Companies House 00868273) was incorporated on 6 January 1966 as Decca Services Limited and was renamed to Thales UK Limited in 2005, following Thales SA's GBP 1.3 billion acquisition of Racal Electronics in 2000 which gave the group its UK platform and second-place position in UK defense electronics. Thales UK is a strategic Tier 1 supplier to the UK Ministry of Defence and historically the largest of Thales Group's international subsidiaries.
Thales UK is publicly traded
This company is no longer available on our private secondary market. Shares can be traded publicly under its listed ticker.
Company data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Founded
1966
Employees
7,000–8,000
Competitor list is illustrative and may be incomplete, stale, or erroneous.
BAE Systems
London-headquartered defense prime and the UK's largest defense contractor; direct competitor to Thales UK in naval combat systems, submarines, avionics and electronic warfare.
Leonardo UK
UK arm of Italian aerospace/defense group Leonardo S.p.A. (BIT:LDO); competes with Thales UK in helicopters, electronic warfare, radar and airborne sensors.
MBDA
European missile manufacturer jointly owned by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo; competes with Thales UK on missile guidance, seekers and air-defense integration.
Babcock International
UK defense services group focused on naval support, training and engineering; overlaps with Thales UK on naval combat systems integration and the Type 31 frigate programme.
QinetiQ
UK defense and security technology company spun out of DERA; competes with Thales UK in test and evaluation, robotics, electronic warfare and cyber.
Raytheon UK
UK arm of RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX); competes with Thales UK in radar, missile systems, secure communications and cyber.
Thales UK is a wholly owned national subsidiary of Thales SA, which is publicly listed on Euronext Paris under ticker HO (ISIN FR0000121329). The French state and Dassault Aviation are long-standing reference shareholders of the parent. There is no separate listing or IPO contemplated for the UK subsidiary; UK and global investor exposure to Thales UK runs through the Euronext-listed parent. Per the Setter30 brief, status is recorded as 'public' to reflect the listed parent.
Thales UK shares can be purchased through any standard brokerage account — including Fidelity, Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, and online platforms like Robinhood or E*TRADE. Search for the ticker to place an order.
Thales UK is headquartered in Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom.
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