Today we’re going to dive deep into a company which plays an instrumental role in the Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital Sectors.

With over 83,000 employees dotted across five continents, our guest Thales provides solutions, services and products to help companies, organisations and governments carry out their critical missions. 

Think about air traffic management, training and simulation to even in-flight entertainment solutions used in the aerospace industry. 

Or signals intelligence, electronic warfare and collaborative combat systems for the defence and security industry. 

Or even satellite-based systems to help scientists observe our planet and better optimise the use of our solar system’s resources.

Beyond that, the firm is also looking at identity management and data protection technologies that help banks exchange funds, people cross borders and energy become smarter and even more. 

Why are we speaking to Thales you might ask? Well, the firm had in July 2025 raised its sales forecast for the year of 2025 while posting better first-half sales and profit. 

Thales’ adjusted earnings before interest and taxes, or adjusted EBIT, came in at 1.248 billion euros, up 12.7% on the year on an organic basis. The strong showing was driven by strong sales growth in its aerospace and defence segment, and came on the back of increased military spending in Europe.   

But how far can the positive momentum be sustained, and how far will US tariffs throw a spanner in the works? What role will Asia and Singapore play in Thales’ playbook for the future? 

Speaking of Singapore, the firm said in May 2025 that it will launch a new artificial intelligence centre, called cortAIx, in the country to develop AI solutions for critical environments. 

It also inked an agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to launch an International Avionics Lab in 2026. But what should we know about the moves, and how important are they to longer-term growth for Thales as a whole?

On Under the Radar Specials, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Emily Tan, CEO & Country Director, Thales Singapore.