Naval Group and Thales Join Forces for a Sovereign AI in France

Why It Matters

Sovereign AI ensures secure, controllable defence capabilities, giving European forces a strategic edge amid rising cyber‑threats. The partnership accelerates deployment of trusted AI, strengthening national security and industrial competitiveness.

Key Takeaways

• Naval Group invests in cortAIx France, joining Thales
• Alliance targets sovereign AI for critical defence systems
• Focus areas: combat, decision support, EW, training, logistics
• Over 800 AI experts across five international hubs
• Aims to accelerate AI industrialisation and maintain human oversight

Pulse Analysis

The Naval Group‑Thales partnership marks a decisive step toward European AI sovereignty in defence. While many nations scramble to integrate machine learning into weaponry, France is consolidating talent through cortAIx, a network that spans the UK, Canada, Singapore and Germany. By embedding Naval Group’s naval domain knowledge into this ecosystem, the alliance bridges the gap between generic AI research and the specific demands of maritime combat, ensuring that algorithms are tailored, auditable and owned domestically.

From a strategic perspective, the collaboration tackles several operational pain points. AI‑driven decision‑support tools can sift through massive data streams in real time, giving commanders clearer situational awareness. In electronic warfare, automated signal identification reduces operator fatigue and shortens response cycles. Meanwhile, AI‑enhanced training simulators provide adaptive scenarios that cut costs while sharpening crew readiness. These capabilities collectively boost force resilience and align with NATO’s push for interoperable, human‑centric AI systems.

Beyond immediate military benefits, the joint venture signals a broader industrial shift. By pooling R&D resources, Thales and Naval Group aim to shorten the time from prototype to fielded product, fostering a domestic supply chain that limits reliance on foreign software. This model could inspire similar sovereign AI consortia across Europe, reinforcing the continent’s position as a leader in secure, high‑integrity defence technology. As geopolitical tensions intensify, such home‑grown AI ecosystems will become a cornerstone of national security strategy.

Naval Group and Thales join forces for a sovereign AI in France

Thales Group press release

This unprecedented alliance will accelerate the deployment of AI technologies and their adoption by the armed forces, while upholding algorithm sovereignty and safeguarding sensitive data. AI experts from Naval Group—particularly from the Digital Excellence Centre in Ollioules (South of France)—will strengthen the cortAIx France teams with their specialised knowledge of the naval environment.

This joint venture aims to accelerate the industrialisation of AI solutions applied to defence systems within cortAIx.

​Launched in 2024 by Thales—a global leader in advanced technologies—the cortAIx initiative brings together more than 800 AI experts across five hubs in France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, and Germany. By consolidating AI research, engineering, and industrialisation activities for critical environments, the initiative strengthens Thales’ technological leadership. Over the past decade, Thales’ substantial investment in R&D has made it Europe’s top patent filer for AI in critical systems. This expertise has enabled the integration of artificial intelligence into more than 100 Thales products, offering customers a decisive competitive edge and enhanced resilience, all while ensuring human oversight remains at the core.

Naval Group has placed innovation at the heart of its strategy and culture to ensure the competitiveness and technological superiority of its clients at sea. By relying on new digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality, and through its activities covering the entire lifecycle of ships, Naval Group enables its clients to maintain the scientific, technological, and industrial capabilities necessary for their sovereignty over the long term.

“The entry of Naval Group into the capital of cortAIx France is a significant step for the company in its efforts to integrate AI into naval systems. Thanks to the pooling of resources from our two companies, this strategic partnership marks a major acceleration for the future of engineering and naval systems, in which AI plays an increasingly important role. It reflects the will to push beyond traditional boundaries of architecture and innovation, in favour of sovereign and controlled AI, which is essential to build the naval warfare of tomorrow.”

Pierre Éric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group.

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“With Naval Group joining us, cortAIx is taking a major step forward in a collective innovation effort in France. This cooperation between two major defence players will pool expertise and accelerate the integration of sovereign AI into critical systems to respond more quickly to the challenges of the armed forces. This alliance will help them gain an edge in the face of increasingly numerous and immediate threats in an ever more complex environment, while keeping humans in control.”

Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales.

Together, Thales and Naval Group will accelerate the development of trusted AI solutions applied to critical systems in several key areas:

• Collaborative combat, enabling operators to manage multiple systems simultaneously and assist with observation and surveillance missions.

• Decision support systems, based on the rapid analysis of massive, strategic, tactical, and operational data.

• Electronic warfare, to reduce the cognitive load on operators, automate signal identification, radar geolocation, and mission analysis report generation.

• Training and simulation, to offer realistic and adaptive scenarios while optimising costs, operational preparation, and post-exercise analysis.

• Logistics and support, using analytical rules to better anticipate operational needs.

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