Thales to lead European AI-driven cyberdefence project for aircraft systems

By Defence Industry Europe

Thales, the French defence technology company, has been selected to lead the Artificial Intelligence Deployable Agent (AIDA) project, funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF). This initiative brings together 28 European industry partners, start-ups, and research centres to develop a sovereign AI-enabled cybersecurity agent aimed at protecting aircraft systems from cyberattacks.

 

The three-and-a-half-year project seeks to design an AI solution capable of autonomously or semi-autonomously responding to cyber threats. This technology will enhance the cybersecurity of onboard systems such as combat aircraft computers and electronic warfare equipment, addressing vulnerabilities exposed by increasingly sophisticated attacks in high-intensity conflict environments.

“AIDA is fundamental to the security of our combat systems and the sovereignty of our cyberdefence capabilities,” said Christophe Salomon, Executive Vice President, Secure Communications & Information Systems at Thales. “It is a chance for Thales to consolidate its strengths in onboard aircraft systems and sovereign cybersecurity solutions, and to leverage our AI hacking expertise.”

 

 

Thales, the technical coordinator for AIDA, will work alongside CR14 of Estonia, which is overseeing the overall project. The initiative aligns with the NATO concept of Autonomous Intelligent Cyberdefence Agents (AICA) and addresses critical challenges in modern warfare, including the increasing digitisation of battlefields and the need for automated cyberattack detection and response systems.

The AIDA project also includes the development of a prototype aircraft equipped with frugal AI agents to safeguard electronic warfare systems. Thales plans to test this prototype using scenarios involving cyber-electromagnetic threats and adversarial AI attacks. These trials will be supported by Thales’s Cybels Analytics solution, with additional expertise from the company’s Friendly Hacker Unit, which will conduct tests to ensure the robustness of the AI systems.

 

 

As a global leader in cybersecurity, Thales brings extensive expertise to the project. The company employs over 5,800 cybersecurity specialists in 68 countries and has developed sovereign solutions for critical information systems, including encryption products and cyberthreat detection technologies. Thales is also a trusted partner for NATO and European governments in securing sensitive infrastructure and data.

Thales’s AI capabilities extend across multiple sectors, with over 600 AI engineers and advanced research conducted through its AI accelerator, AI Lab. The company’s trusted AI solutions focus on efficiency, cybersecurity, and adaptability in critical environments, making it a key player in mission-critical AI applications for defence, aviation, and space industries.

 

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