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Thales SA

One of the world's largest defense and aerospace electronics firms, Thales builds military radios, radars, and command systems, plus cockpit avionics, air-traffic control gear, and satellites (via its Thales Alenia Space venture) used by armed forces and airlines. It traces back to 1968's creation of Thomson-CSF, renamed Thales in 2000 after the ancient Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus, one of the legendary Seven Sages. A fitting quirk: the name comes from a Greek word meaning "to blossom" — fitting for a firm that grew out of early radio pioneers.