French underwater drone company benefits from Trump turmoil: Exail Technologies reports 519% increase in orders

A French underwater drone manufacturer has reported a huge uptick in business so far this year, as European nations up their spending on defense.

Over $550m in new orders, Exail says

Exail Technologies says it has received €487 million ($555 million) in orders in the first quarter of 2025, per Reuters.

This represents a 519% increase in order intake for the company, which says it has signed a contract with an unnamed “leading navy” to supply “several autonomous drone systems for underwater mine warfare”.

Announced in February, the deal is worth “several hundred million euros”, Exail says.

“High-tech industrial champion”

Formerly Group Gorgé, Exail describes itself as “a leading high-tech industrial champion specializing in cutting-edge robotics, maritime, navigation, aerospace and photonics technologies”.

Exail’s sharp business growth comes as Europe’s governments seek to increase their outlay on defense, amid complaints from American President Donald Trump that the continent relies too heavily on U.S. military muscle.

Europe spending “tiny fraction” of U.S. outlay, Trump moans

Speaking shortly before taking office in January, for example, Trump called on European members of the NATO transatlantic military alliance to significantly raise their defense spending.

“Europe is in for a tiny fraction of the money that we’re in [for as part of NATO],” Trump told a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

“We have a thing called the ocean in between us, right? Why are we in for billions and billions of dollars more money than Europe?”

In early March, President Trump then halted all U.S. military aid to Ukraine, placing the onus on European powers to step up support for Kyiv as it defend itself against the invasion launched by neighboring Russia in February 2022.

“Europe ready to boost spending”

“We are in an era of rearmament,” European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen said as Trump announced the pause in aid, following a fiery White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“And Europe is ready to massively boost its defence spending.

“Both, to respond to the short-term urgency to act and to support Ukraine but also to address the long-term need to take on much more responsibility for our own European security.”

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