Thales
How a 130-year-old French weapons manufacturer quietly became the backbone of global cybersecurity, air traffic control, and military electronics.
Thales started as a French weapons manufacturer in 1893. For decades, the company produced radar, missiles, and avionics for military aviation. The defense budget grew after World War II and stayed inflated through the Cold War. Thales thrived selling exclusively to governments and military establishments globally. By the 1990s, military spending stalled. Thales pivoted toward dual-use technology, products with both military and civilian applications, satellites tracking military targets powered GPS and telecommunications networks. Cybersecurity tools built for military networks protected civilian infrastructure and financial systems. Dual-use doubled the addressable market entirely.
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