Merger Creates New “Main European Player” In Military Training

Thales has completed its acquisition of RUAG’s training and simulation division, the French firm says.

The merger, announced in November 2021, appears to have completed all applicable regulatory approvals processes, and the promised consultations with both companies’ employee representative bodies have not raised any insuperable issues.

Originally presented as a means of Thales better addressing Swiss military training requirements, the acquisition of RUAG S&T’s 500 employees and €90million ($94.5million) in annual sales is now described by Thales in more broadly beneficial terms to the French company. “The consolidation will complement Thales’s footprint in the land market in particular, meanwhile sustaining its field-proven expertise in helicopters and military aircraft solutions […] This acquisition will provide an opportunity to reinforce local footprint in priority geographies (France, Switzerland, Germany, and United Kingdom), while increasing presence in UAE and Australia.”

A secondary benefit from the merger, Thales implies, is a reduction in carbon emissions. The combined company will have an increased capability in developing and fielding “next-generation hybrid [training] solutions, combining world-class live and synthetic experience […] The initiative, which is driven by the digitalization of land forces, is fully in line with the global evolution toward more environmentally friendly solutions.”

Now that the formal acquisition process is complete, “the next step will be to initiate the integration of the two companies to create a more efficient business,” the company stated.