Dassault's $200M Bet on AI Startup to Forge Autonomous Combat Jets

SAINT-CLOUD, France – January 12, 2026

In a landmark move signaling a major shift in European defense strategy, French aerospace titan Dassault Aviation is leading a $200 million Series B funding round for Harmattan AI, a two-year-old defense technology startup. The investment establishes a strategic partnership aimed at embedding advanced artificial intelligence and “controlled autonomy” into the next generation of combat aircraft, catapulting Paris-based Harmattan AI to a valuation of $1.4 billion.

This collaboration places the burgeoning AI firm at the heart of developing future capabilities for Dassault's flagship platforms, including the next-generation Rafale F5 fighter and future Unmanned Combat Air Systems (UCAS). The partnership represents a concerted effort to accelerate the development of sovereign AI technologies for the battlefield, positioning Europe to compete in a global arms race increasingly defined by software and autonomous systems.

A New Alliance for Europe's AI-Powered Skies

The partnership marries Dassault's century of experience in designing complex, high-performance military aircraft with Harmattan AI's agile, software-first approach to defense. Dassault will provide its deep expertise in system architecture and mission systems integration, while Harmattan AI will develop the embedded AI capabilities, particularly for controlling collaborative unmanned drones from manned aircraft—a concept often referred to as “loyal wingmen.”

“Dassault Aviation has always placed technological excellence and sovereignty at the heart of its values,” said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, in a statement. “This partnership with Harmattan AI reflects our commitment to integrating high-value autonomy into the next generation of combat air systems. By joining forces with a fast-moving and innovative company, we reinforce our ability to deliver the advanced capabilities required by our armed forces in the decades ahead.”

The collaboration is explicitly designed to integrate “sovereign, controlled and monitored AI” into Dassault’s combat systems. This emphasis on control is a critical component, addressing widespread ethical and strategic concerns about the role of machines in warfare.

For Harmattan AI, the alliance is a powerful accelerant. “This partnership with Dassault Aviation marks a decisive step in the emergence of a new generation of autonomous defense systems,” stated Mouad M’Ghari, CEO and Co-Founder of Harmattan AI. “By combining frontier AI with world-class military aviation expertise, we are shaping the future of collaborative air combat.” The infusion of capital will be used to scale the manufacturing of its drone and electronic warfare platforms, expand AI-enabled missions into new operational theaters, and broaden its product offerings.

Harmattan AI's Meteoric Rise in Defense Tech

Harmattan AI’s trajectory represents a significant disruption to the traditionally slow-moving defense procurement landscape. Founded in April 2024, the company has achieved in less than two years what often takes legacy contractors a decade. Before this landmark Series B round, the company had already raised $42 million across seed and Series A rounds led by prominent venture firms Atlantic.vc and FirstMark, respectively.

Its rapid ascent is built on delivering vertically integrated, AI-powered systems that are both scalable and attritable. The company has already secured multiple Programs of Record with the French and UK Ministries of Defence, a rare feat for a young firm. It is currently delivering thousands of systems per month, including a contract for 1,000 drones for the French military and another for 3,000 systems for the UK Ministry of Defence.

Harmattan AI's product portfolio includes the Sonora line of UAS drones, the Sahara payload-capable aircraft, and the Gobi counter-UAS interceptor. These systems are designed to operate with minimal connectivity, using edge-AI to process data and execute missions autonomously in contested environments. This focus on low-cost, high-volume, software-defined hardware stands in stark contrast to the expensive, hardware-heavy platforms that have long dominated military inventories.

The Geopolitical Stakes: Sovereignty and the AI Arms Race

This partnership does not exist in a vacuum. It is a direct response to a global “AI arms race,” with the United States, China, and Russia investing heavily in autonomous military capabilities. In the US, startups like Anduril and Shield AI are pioneering similar AI-driven defense systems, while in Europe, Germany's Helsing has also emerged as a key player in operational autonomy.

Dassault's investment in a homegrown European champion is a clear statement of intent. The deal is a cornerstone of a broader strategy to bolster Europe's technological sovereignty and reduce its reliance on foreign, particularly American, defense technology. By fostering an indigenous AI defense ecosystem, European nations aim to maintain control over their most critical military assets and ensure strategic autonomy in an increasingly fragmented world.

The partnership's focus on creating sovereign AI capabilities for allied forces underscores the changing nature of alliances. Interoperability is no longer just about shared hardware but about compatible software and data architectures, making investments like this crucial for the future of coalition warfare within NATO and beyond.

Navigating the Ethics of Autonomy

As the technology for autonomous warfare gallops forward, it continues to outpace international law and ethical consensus. The prospect of “killer robots” remains a subject of intense debate at the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), where a majority of nations have called for limits but key developers like the US, Russia, and China have resisted binding restrictions.

The central dilemma revolves around ensuring “meaningful human control” over systems that can independently select and engage targets. Questions of accountability, algorithmic bias, and the potential for catastrophic error loom large over the development of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS).

In this complex environment, Western military alliances are attempting to forge a path of “responsible AI.” NATO’s AI Strategy outlines six “Principles of Responsible Use”—including lawfulness, accountability, reliability, and governability—to guide development. Dassault and Harmattan AI’s stated goal of creating “controlled and monitored AI” aligns directly with this framework. The partnership will serve as a critical test case for whether advanced military AI can be developed and deployed in a way that provides a decisive tactical edge while remaining firmly under human command, a challenge that will define the character of conflict for generations to come.