French laser manufacturer Lumibird has agreed to acquire a 37% stake in Cilas, strengthening its position in European defence and civil markets, Lumibird announced on 19 July. Lumibird said it is purchasing the stake from French energy company Areva and expects to finalise the transaction "in the next few days". Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cilas is 63% owned by France-based space launch provider ArianeGroup. In 2019 it had revenue of EUR32 million (USD37.8 million). Cilas leads the multinational Tactical Advanced Laser Optical System (TALOS) project, which is developing laser weapons for the EU. The acquisition follows Lumibird's agreement to buy the defence laser rangefinder business of Sweden's Saab for an undisclosed sum: a deal expected to close in 2022.
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