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

Naval Group has invested in the capital of cortAIx France, joining Thales to address major challenges related to integrating AI into critical defence systems. 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.

“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.