Munich 29-May-2024

AI-backbone for FCAS operational

The HIS consortium and partners provide BAAINBw and industry with a cross-sectional AI development platform for FCAS (AI-backbone) just nine months after contract start.

The HIS consortium is proud to reach a critical milestone with the first release of the AI-backbone in just nine months. The HIS consortium consists of Helsing GmbH and Schönhofer Sales and Engineering GmbH (SSE), a 100% subsidiary of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH and Co. KG. As a software platform for the comprehensible and high-performance development of artificial intelligence (AI), the AI-backbone is a crucial component for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). In the German initiative “National Research and Technology (R&T) Project NGWS,” the cross-sectional platform is already being used by over 50 pilot users from a total of ten organizations for the development of future-oriented technologies.

The AI-Backbone is the first software platform that enables collaborative AI workflows across organizations in the military sector. As a customer-side solution, the platform ensures standardized procedures and open, interoperable architectures. In doing so, it overcomes the status quo, which consists of highly manual and fragmented processes with numerous interfaces. The AI-backbone now creates a standardized path to military AI through a centralized platform that ensures the data security and sovereignty of every user. Additionally, the software development kit's open architecture and transparent deployment provide seamless integration that increases flexibility and efficiency across the MiLOps workflow.

“The use of AI will be critical to FCAS air superiority. AI accelerates the evaluation of sensor data, the planning of missions and the use of effectors,” explains Frank Schrudde, Managing Director of SSE. “As an innovative, long-standing partner of the Bundeswehr, we bring vigor to the research landscape. We are proud to have brought the agility of a medium-sized company to the project in collaboration with our partners. We were able to deploy the first demonstrator in an extremely short time of 9 months.”

“With the first release, an important milestone in the implementation of the AI-backbone has been reached,” says Stephanie Lingemann, program director and head of the air domain at Helsing. “We are proud to have advanced the AI-backbone from the initial idea to implementation. The development of AI is now being supported in the ongoing phase of the national R&T projects and a decisive cross-sectional contribution is being made to enabling the NGWS.”

The next stage of development will be reached with the second release, expected for November 2024: enabling standardized, collaborative AI workflows in highly sensitive environments while adding additional capability components.

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Rohde & Schwarz is striving for a safer and connected world with its Test & Measurement, Technology Systems and Networks & Cybersecurity Divisions. For 90 years, the global technology group has pushed technical boundaries with developments in cutting-edge technologies. The company's leading-edge products and solutions empower industrial, regulatory and government customers to attain technological and digital sovereignty. The privately owned, Munich based company can act independently, long-term and sustainably. Rohde & Schwarz generated net revenue of EUR 2.78 billion in the 2022/2023 fiscal year (July to June). On June 30, 2023, Rohde & Schwarz had around 13,800 employees worldwide.

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