Thales in 'quite advanced' talks with NATO countries on AI-powered command system HexaForce

PARIS — French defense-technology firm Thales is "quite advanced" in discussions with a number of NATO countries about using its artificial intelligence-powered command-and-control system HexaForce, according to Patrick Moreau, the company's vice president for multi-domain operations.

Thales announced the availability of HexaForce last week, following testing during NATO's Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise (CWIX) in Poland in June. The company positions the system as a multi-domain C2 "overlay" that can integrate with legacy and national systems from the strategic to the tactical level, while allowing users to select their own AI models and avoid vendor lock-in.

NATO is increasingly turning to AI to manage growing volumes of data in command and control and already operates a C2 system supplied by US-based Palantir Technologies. Meanwhile, the European Union is seeking to accelerate the development and deployment of European capabilities amid concerns about sovereign control over the underlying technology.

"I don't want to go too much into detail, but we are quite advanced in some discussions with some NATO countries so far," Moreau told Defense News in a September 24 interview.

As European and NATO militaries scale operations from brigade-level formations to army corps of more than 100,000 troops, AI will be essential for processing more complex data, shortening planning cycles, and improving situational awareness, Moreau said.

System Capabilities

HexaForce is designed to provide command and control from the army corps level down to the battalion, according to the executive. Thales set a goal with end users to enable planning of 1,000 target missions per day — a tenfold increase.

Key features of the system include:

• Open architecture built around NATO standards, allowing countries to integrate existing systems for tasks such as mission planning or use the large language model (LLM) of their choice
• Agentic AI for tasks such as targeting mission preparation, in addition to the LLM component
• Fully distributed architecture designed to rely on mesh capability, enabling the system to be spread across different data hubs within various command posts — aligned with new operational concepts that avoid reliance on central computing
• Interoperability with legacy solutions, adding "AI-powered capability" to systems already in use by armed forces

Moreau noted that HexaForce is a command-and-control system, and users still require dedicated tactical systems to provide sensor data.

Testing and Standards

The executive said the aim at CWIX was for end users to test HexaForce and its interoperability with existing and legacy systems. The system implements NATO standards related to the Data-Centric Security and Federation Mission Networking frameworks.

For threats identified at the strategic command level, HexaForce can propose different courses of action, including firing options using air or land forces, according to Moreau. The operator can then select a course of action, with the system sending the targeting mission to the tactical level.

"Of course it remains up to the operator to choose to push the button, and to choose the best option proposed by HexaForce," Moreau said. "There is no automated action."

In addition to connecting to systems that provide tactical awareness, HexaForce could incorporate commercial ship-tracking data or cyber threats to provide a more complete picture, Moreau said.

NATO Solution, Not France-Specific

While developed with input from the French Army, Moreau repeatedly stressed that the Thales system is designed as a NATO solution rather than a France-specific system. Asked how it compares with existing systems such as Systematic's SitaWare or Airbus's Multi-Domain Combat Cloud, Moreau instead emphasized the interoperability of the Thales system.

Moreau said HexaForce is ready and already in the hands of armed forces, with the first version taking nine months from design to availability for the French Army.

France is developing its sovereign C2 system Arcadia, and Moreau said that while HexaForce could be "a cornerstone" of the French system, the decision is not up to Thales.

About the Author: Rudy Ruitenberg is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He began his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets, and politics.