Dassault Aviation and Thales have entered a critical partnership to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty in defence. The two companies signed their strategic partnership centred around the cortAIx artificial intelligence accelerator on 18 November. The official announcement was made during the Adopt AI International Summit at Paris Grand Palais, held under the high patronage of the President.
This partnership aims to develop controlled, reliable, and fully auditable AI solutions for defence aviation.
Reliable AI for Collaborative Combat Systems
As one of the architects of collaborative air combat systems, Dassault Aviation aims, through Thales’ cortAIx platform, to develop independent and reliable AI solutions for manned and unmanned aircraft covering critical functions such as:
- observation,
- situational analysis,
- decision-making,
- planning and mission execution
Dassault Aviation CEO Pascale Lohat emphasised the importance of the collaboration:
“This partnership transforms into a research and innovation programme focused on the future of collaborative air combat, aiming to integrate AI into defence aviation systems. The strategic approach initiated with cortAIx demonstrates our shared commitment to reliable, sovereign, and controllable AI for armed forces.”
Development Within a Europe-Centric Ethical and Regulatory Framework
Projects conducted under the partnership will progress in compliance with all European ethical and regulatory standards, notably the AI Act.
The two companies aim to establish a sustainable, long-term collaboration by creating a strong research ecosystem on an international scale.
Thales: “Combining Technological Heritage with Innovation”
Mickael Brossard, Vice President of the Thales cortAIx Factory, highlighted that the new alliance strengthens Thales’ globally expanding AI strategy:
“cortAIx brings together Thales’ decades of operational experience and technological heritage with the agility of a strong innovation accelerator in this strategic partnership with Dassault Aviation. Operating in France, the UK, Canada, Singapore, and soon the UAE, cortAIx relies on select technology partners to transform AI developments into tangible tools for sovereignty and efficiency.”
