European militaries are moving rapidly from experimenting with Artificial Intelligence to integrating it into core defence capabilities. Artificial Intelligence has already been used in Europe’s armed forces for human resources, logistics and maintenance support for the last 10 years, and around 2015 the technology matured enough to become a priority for broader military use. Current investment is focused on two areas: semi-autonomous weapon systems enabled by Artificial Intelligence, and Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision support systems used for battle management, operational planning and tactical planning.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom are seen as the main European leaders in this shift. On Monday, Germany and Ukraine launched the “Brave Germany” programme, which will include approximately 5,000 joint Artificial Intelligence-enabled medium-range strike drones. Germany has also expanded work with Helsing AI and Saab Germany, including a 2023 deal tied to the Future Combat Air System and another separate 269 million contract with Helsing to produce loitering munitions for the German and NATO militaries. The United Kingdom announced the Asgard programme in 2025, a digitally-enabled reconnaissance and strike network designed to combine sensors, decision-support tools and weapons, and also made a strategic partnership with Palantir in which the company would invest up to £1.5 billion (€1.73 billion) to help the government harness Artificial Intelligence technologies.
France is distinguished by its push for sovereign military Artificial Intelligence systems that are independent of the United States. In January, the French government awarded a framework agreement to Mistral, allowing the armed forces and some public entities to use the company’s models, software and services. European institutions are also backing this direction through recent European Defence Fund selections, including projects for a private deployable large language model, a sovereign European Artificial Intelligence support tool and an Artificial Intelligence-enabled artillery system. Even with these plans in place, concerns remain that European decision-making and rollout speed could slow implementation.
Ukraine has become a key model for how Artificial Intelligence can be used in active conflict. Its Delta system combines trackers, radars, satellite providers and digital map platforms with an Artificial Intelligence analysis layer to support battlefield decisions and track both friendly and enemy positions. Ukrainian forces are also using loitering munitions in which navigation and target identification are automatic, while still keeping a human decision-maker in the loop for the strike order. Ukraine is also working with Palantir on “Brave1 Dataroom,” based on combat data gathered during the war with Russia, and on systems for analysing air strikes and processing large volumes of intelligence data.
European bodies are increasingly linking their own programmes to Ukrainian battlefield experience. Last month, the European Commission announced project STRATUS to develop an Artificial Intelligence-powered cyber defence system for drone swarms, with a Ukrainian subcontractor so the technology can be tested directly on the battlefield. Researchers also point to movement toward fuller automation in Ukraine, including tests of munitions that can continue an attack if contact is lost. That trend is shaping how European states are approaching the next phase of Artificial Intelligence adoption in defence.
