The UK arm of defence and security company Leonardo has formed a partnership with Faculty AI, one of the country’s leading independent AI companies.
The companies will look to bring AI-driven defence capabilities, such as Cognitive Intelligent Sensing (CoInS) and Electronic Warfare (EW), out of the lab and into the hands of the armed forces quicker.
CoInS technology incorporates AI and machine learning algorithms to process and analyse real-time data.
The first joint projects will focus on the application of AI into CoInS and the technology will allow sensors to self-orientate themselves without the need for humans to operate them remotely.
This investment is part of the company’s strategic roadmap for AI in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) research and development, which will see the technology embedded into a number of products and services.
Leonardo and Faculty AI will also be looking at how AI can boost the capabilities of electronic warfare payloads and countermeasures for combat aircraft, building on the international market success of Leonardo’s BriteCloud decoy and BriteStorm jamming system.
The deal is the first under Leonardo’s UK-based SME Collaboration Partner Programme, which was launched in March alongside commercialisation specialists Form1 Partners and aims to address the problem in the defence industry whereby SMEs find it challenging to translate innovation into market success.
“Our goal is to move beyond a transactional prime-supplier relationship,” said Professor Simon Harwood, capability director, Leonardo UK.
“We’ll be looking for opportunities where Leonardo’s expertise in defence electronics sensors and integration, military rotorcraft and cyber security can incorporate the AI expertise of Faculty AI to deliver something of tangible benefit to our customers.”
Marc Warner, CEO, Faculty AI, added: “We’ve used AI to solve frontline problems for a decade and are world-leading experts in this field.
“AI is already reshaping defence – enabling faster, more accurate decision-making, improved threat detection and greater operational efficiency.
“This collaboration underscores our mission to deliver AI to enhance national security while ensuring it is deployed safely and ethically.”