Law enforcement, forest fire prevention, observation and intelligence missions: at the Paris Air Show 2025, Safran Electronics & Defense is demonstrating that French technological excellence in artificial intelligence (AI) is already an operational reality. Developed in France, Safran’s AI solutions meet the most demanding requirements of defense and security environments.
A Technological Turning Point for Action
Faced with the proliferation of the number of sensors in the field and the profusion of data they generate, artificial intelligence has become an essential decision-making tool, enhancing both the accuracy of interventions and the safety of operations. Since 2015, Safran has made this subject a major focus of innovation. The strategic acquisition of Preligens in 2024, a leading French player in AI applied to defense that has since become Safran.AI, has consolidated a sovereign capability unrivalled in Europe, combining advanced technological mastery and industrial excellence.
AI Solutions Covering the Entire Chain of Command
Safran deploys sovereign, controlled AI, designed to meet the needs of operators in the field as well as those of strategic command centers. Three ranges of solutions embody this approach:
ACE (Advanced Cognitive Engine), on-board optronic sensors (for aeronautical, land or sea applications), detects, classifies and counts multiple targets in real time under complex conditions. The Euroflir 410 with ACE on board (photo), has been successfully deployed on law enforcement missions, demonstrating its ability to enhance perception and accelerate decision-making in both urban and rural environments.
AI.STAR, deployed in tactical centers, consolidates multi-sensor data flows (air, land, naval) and automatically georeferences them on a map. It is a major lever for tactical coordination.
Finally, GeoAI massively processes satellite images to provide continuous global surveillance. In a strategic context, for example, AI can spot suspicious military activity, classify equipment and alert analysts in a matter of minutes, where human analysis would take several hours. This technology is already deployed in intelligence centers in France, at NATO and with international customers.
AI in the Public Interest
Safran’s AI solutions are designed not only for the Armed Forces, but more broadly for the players working to keep everyone safe, all of whom have one thing in common: the need to act quickly, with precision and discernment.
For all these missions, AI lightens the cognitive load on operators, enabling them to focus their attention on the most critical signals. This saves vital time: detecting a human silhouette in a dense forest, spotting a hotspot warning of a forest fire, or tracking a suspicious vehicle in a congested urban environment.
A Sovereign and Lasting Commitment
Beyond technological performance, Safran Electronics & Defense is committed to reliable, sovereign and user-centric defense AI. Thanks to its R&D centers, including the CEDIA - Centre d’Entraînement et de Développement de l’Intelligence Artificielle based in Brittany, France - Safran Electronics & Defense has one of the richest databases in the field, with over 53 million annotated objects and 14,000 object models. This unique capital enables us to develop robust algorithms, adapted to real-life environments, while guaranteeing trusted AI. With interfaces designed to lighten the cognitive load and ongoing collaboration with end-users, Safran is building a complete, sovereign and scalable value chain, from sensor to strategic decision.
Driven by a strategic vision, proven technologies and an unwavering commitment to the armed forces, Safran Electronics & Defense intends to make artificial intelligence a decisive asset in the service of sovereignty, security and operational efficiency.
