The Extended Brief
Thales in ‘quite advanced’ talks with NATO countries on AI-powered command software
Brief by The AI News AI newsroom · Sep 25, 2026, 12:12 PM EDT edition
Original reporting by C4ISRNET — Rudy Ruitenberg · published Sep 25, 2026, 11:34 AM EDT
European militaries seeking sovereign alternatives to Palantir's command software could get one if Thales' advanced NATO talks over its HexaForce AI system convert to contracts.
Key points
- Thales VP Patrick Moreau says talks with several NATO countries over its HexaForce AI command system are "quite advanced." source ↗
- HexaForce was tested during NATO's CWIX interoperability exercise in Poland in June and announced last week. source ↗
- Thales set a goal with end users for HexaForce to plan 1,000 target missions daily, a tenfold increase. source ↗
- Its open architecture, built on NATO standards, lets countries plug in legacy systems and choose their own AI models. source ↗
- NATO already operates a Palantir-supplied command system, while the EU pushes for sovereign European defense technology. source ↗
The data
1,000
target missions per day Thales aims for HexaForce to plan
Thales says the goal, set with end users, represents a tenfold increase in planning capacity.
Numbers from the original article, machine-verified against its text
Practical applications
- Defense software teams building for NATO customers should design model-agnostic architectures, since HexaForce's pitch centers on letting users swap in their own large language models.
- Program managers at competing C2 vendors should benchmark their planning throughput against Thales' stated goal of 1,000 target missions per day.
- Systems integrators should review CWIX interoperability results to assess how overlay architectures perform against legacy national C2 infrastructure.
Context
Command-and-control (C2) software is the digital layer militaries use to plan missions, track forces, and share situational awareness. NATO already fields a Palantir-built C2 system, and European governments are increasingly concerned about sovereign control of such technology. Thales positions HexaForce as an "overlay" that connects existing national systems rather than replacing them.
What to watch
- A first signed HexaForce contract from a NATO country would convert Moreau's "quite advanced" talks into a confirmed program.
- France's planned test of its own AI-powered battlefield command in a June NATO exercise will show whether HexaForce faces a national rival.
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Editorial score 3.2 / 5 · significance 3.0 · novelty 3.5 · edge 3.0 · perspective 3.5
Desks: Defense · Policy & Society
Topics: Defense AI · Governance & policy
Evidence basis: Reviewed from the article's full text
This brief was written by The AI News AI newsroom in its own words after two independent AI reviewers voted the story worth reading. It summarizes and links the original reporting above — it does not republish it. See the methodology or the corrections ledger.