French aerospace major and maker of the Rafale fighter jets operated by the Indian Air Force, Dassault Aviation has entered into a strategic partnership with defence AI firm Harmattan AI to accelerate the integration of controlled autonomy and artificial intelligence into next-generation combat aviation systems. Dassault Aviation is leading Harmattan AI’s $200 million Series B funding round, signaling a major push to embed sovereign and monitored AI technologies into future air combat platforms.
The collaboration will support the development of AI capabilities in Dassault Aviation’s future air combat systems, particularly for controlling unmanned aerial systems, or drones.
Dassault is currently working on a new version of its Rafale fighter jet, the Rafale F5, which is expected to enter service around 2030. The company is also developing a combat drone under the “unmanned combat air system” programme, designed to operate alongside the Rafale F5 in future combat missions.
In a post on LinkedIn, Harmattan AI said that its Series B funding round has valued the company at $1.4 billion, underscoring growing investor confidence in AI-driven defence technologies.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the partnership, highlighting its strategic significance.
“This is excellent news for our strategic autonomy, for the technological superiority of our military in the area of AI-enabled defence drones as well as for our economy,” Macron said in a post on X.
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