The German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and InService Support (BAAINBw) has selected the HIS consortium consisting of Helsing and Schönhofer Sales and Engineering GmbH (SSE), a Rohde & Schwarz company, as well as IBM Deutschland GmbH, to provide the artificial intelligence (AI) development infrastructure for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). On August 7, 2023, BAAINBw signed the contract for provision of the software platform (AI backbone) with immediate effect. FCAS is a multinational joint initiative between Germany, France, and Spain to develop a next-generation combat air system. Part of FCAS is the Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS), which will develop a sixth-generation fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial systems. National initiatives in Germany will run in parallel to FCAS. Now that the HIS consortium has been awarded the contract, these initiatives can proceed through the NGWS National Research and Technology (R&T) project.
Sandra Pfetzing-Huber, Associate Partner, Defence & Intelligence, IBM Consulting, explains: “In order to develop and operate AI applications, a powerful and scalable IT infrastructure is required that is also secure. The Secure Cloud (VS-Cloud) from IBM and its partners Secunet and RedHat offers the scalability, flexibility, reliability and security to quickly and easily develop, operate and secure AI applications.”
“SSE draws on many years of excellent cooperation with the German armed forces on innovation topics, and we look
forward to driving the development of AI technologies in Germany,” says Dr Martin Schönhofer, CEO of SSE. As a
trailblazer for national research and technology projects for NGWS and FCAS, the HIS consortium offers the right
platform for agile AI development.”
“AI plays a key role in conflicts with peer competitor adversaries. The AI backbone is the first step toward giving the air force cross-functional capabilities with AI; the FCASprogram is making progress, but this sort of infrastructure is crucial for every platform,” says Stephanie Lingemann, Program Director at Helsing.
The AI backbone from the HIS consortium will allow high-performance AI to be developed for military applications, including complex industry collaboration, and deployment to the German armed forces. Each of the consortium partners has a specific strength to contribute. Helsing is a leader in defence AI products, as well as development and deployment of edge AI for military platforms. As a long-standing partner of the Bundeswehr, SSE uses its deep expertise in real-time situational awareness, analytics, AI and management of complex data and data formats. IBM complements the team with its many years of expertise in the military sector and provides cloud technologies for the use of artificial intelligence in security-related areas.
Helsing
Helsing is a defence AI company, focusing on developing software-based capabilities to protect our democracies. With a diverse and experienced team of engineers and AI talent, Helsing partners with governments and hardware manufacturers to deploy mission-enhancing software. Helsing funds its own research and technology development, which allows it to undertake its own R&D at scale, applying the speed of software development cycles to mission challenges in defence. It employs AI and software to enable faster and more accurate decision-making, and the utilisation of data at the tactical, operational, and strategic level. With operations in the UK, Germany and France, Helsing accesses software and AI talent from across Europe, while serving each country’s specific sovereign
requirements.
Schönhofer Sales and Engineering
Schönhofer Sales and Engineering (SSE) is a leading consulting services provider offering advanced analytics solutions and IT systems for public sector customers, government authorities, and business customers in the domestic and international markets. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rohde & Schwarz since 2022, SSE offers sensor data integration, data management, and big data analytics over the entire value chain to improve risk management and optimize decisions.
Rohde & Schwarz
With its leading solutions in test & measurement, technology systems, and networks & cybersecurity, the Rohde & Schwarz technology group is a trailblazer for a safer and more connected world. Founded almost 90 years ago, the group is a reliable partner for industry and government customers around the globe. With around 13,000 employees worldwide as of June 30, 2022, the independent group achieved net revenues of EUR 2.53 billion in the 2021/2022 fiscal year (July to June). The company is headquartered in Munich, Germany
IBM Deutschland GmbH
The solution portfolio of IBM Deutschland GmbH ranges from supercomputers and software to services including consulting and financing. IBM’s core goal is to support companies and government agencies in their digitaltransformation. The IBM Consulting division accelerates their clients’ business transformation through hybrid cloud and AI technologies, leveraging their open partner ecosystem. With deep industry expertise across strategy, experience design, technology and operations, IBM Consulting has become the trusted partner of the world’s most innovative and valuable companies, helping them modernize and secure their most complex systems. Its approximately 160,000 consultants work openly and use the proven co-creation method, IBM Garage, to turn ideas into results.
