© Thales
French Defence procurement agency selects Thales to expand big data capabilities of the armed forces
Digitalisation is gaining ground in every aspect of the combat operations conducted by French forces, but the digital transformation goes well beyond what is visible on the battlefield, increasingly affecting everything from logistic support and maintenance to intelligence systems, predictive analysis, operational information and communication systems, cybersecurity, training and simulation. Thales is a recognised player in Big Data and intends to support the French armed forces ministry’s digital development, which is gaining pace under France’s 2019–25 defence spending plan.
Thales, in partnership with Sopra Steria, is delighted to have been selected by the DGA to implement the second phase of the innovative ARTEMIS partnership programme, which will improve the platform’s capabilities and extend its scope of application. As part of this build phase, Thales will test the solution in the areas of cybersecurity, intelligence, image processing and maritime situational awareness. This demonstrator includes Big Data processing capabilities and calls for the development of specific processing algorithms and a user interface for presenting the results. It will be rolled out progressively at four sites. Ultimately, the platform will be used by the French border agency, justice system and homeland security, and will also be available to other government agencies.
Working with an ecosystem of 80 SMEs and larger companies, Thales is dedicated to supporting the French defence ministry’s ambitions to ensure that operators have the information they need at every decisive moment. Through this programme, Thales is once again demonstrating its high-tech expertise, particularly in the areas of Big Data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
“The award of the second phase of the ARTEMIS programme to Thales and Sopra Steria is a further proof point of the confidence the DGA has in our capabilities, and show the growing importance of Big Data in the digital transformation of the Ministry of the Armed Forces » Gérard Herby, Thales Vice President, Protection Systems.
“Building our partnership with Thales based on complementary competencies unites the dynamism of small innovative companies and the vision of two larger partner firms striving towards digital sovereignty. Our past experiences give us a full knowledge of military professions but also an expertise in civil technology which is experiencing a boom of innovation.” Laurent Giovachini, Deputy General Manager, Sopra-Steria.
