- HexaForce is designed to coordinate operations across seven military domains
- The system uses large language models and agentic AI to process operational data
- Thales is targeting a capacity to process 1,000 targets per day during live trials
Thales has launched HexaForce, an artificial intelligence-enabled command and control system designed to help armed forces coordinate operations in multiple domains while retaining national control over data, the company announced Thursday.
What Capabilities Does HexaForce Provide?
Designed for land, air, sea, space, cyber, electromagnetic spectrum and information operations, HexaForce has a distributed architecture that can connect existing systems used by national forces and coalition partners. The system draws on Thales’ cortAIx AI capabilities, including large language models and agentic AI, to shorten planning cycles, share tactical pictures in real time, speed up decisions, sharpen effector allocation, support field maintenance and boost situational awareness. Thales has also incorporated cortAIx into AI-enabled C2 capabilities being developed for the Royal Navy’s autonomous minehunting operations.
Thales said these capabilities can help process and prioritize data gathered from military, open-source and civilian sources. The company said live trials are targeting a processing capacity of 1,000 targets per day, compared with 100 previously.
How Does HexaForce Connect With Existing Systems?
Interoperability is a central part of HexaForce, which can connect to legacy systems and third-party technology. Thales said the system was tested during the NATO CWIX 2026 exercise and that it supports the Data-Centric Security and Federated Mission Networking standards.
The architecture also gives participating nations control over data entering and leaving the system without requiring that information to be exposed, according to Thales.
The company said development of HexaForce draws on Artemis.IA, which has been deployed with France’s Ministry of Armed Forces since 2023. The earlier system has been used for multi-source data processing and AI scaling. HexaForce also fits into Thales’ broader use of AI for multi-domain defense, including the SkyDefender air and missile defense architecture, which incorporates the company’s cortAIx AI capabilities.
Christophe Salomon, executive vice president for secure communications and information systems at Thales, said armed forces need a dedicated data system or an operational cross-domain interface to connect with allies and complete their systems, or faster multi-domain command functions powered by advanced AI. He said HexaForce meets each of these needs, establishing a new standard in multi-domain C2 for NATO and allied nations amid rising high-intensity conflicts.
