In a world where naval operations hinge on speed, precision, and the ability to make sense of chaotic, shifting environments, artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the new centre of gravity. This evolution is now taking a decisive step forward in Canada. Thales Canada and Cohere—two global leaders at the forefront of defence technology and enterprise AI—have formalized a partnership aimed squarely at transforming the way naval and maritime in-service support is delivered.
It is a collaboration that fuses deep operational experience with cutting-edge AI innovation. Thales, a longstanding leader in defence, digital technologies, and naval in-service support, is joining forces with Cohere, one of Canada’s fastest-rising AI powerhouses known for its large language models and enterprise-ready AI applications. Together, they are positioning Canada’s maritime forces to harness secure, sovereign, and highly adaptive agentic AI tools capable of analyzing real-time complexity at unprecedented speed.
A Modernization Strategy Anchored in Sovereign Innovation
At the heart of the partnership is the development and deployment of agentic AI systems—intelligent tools designed to not only process dynamic data but also respond to its constant motion. These capabilities are especially crucial in naval environments where conditions shift from moment to moment: weather, vessel behaviour, threat signals, logistics demands, and system performance data all converge into a single operational picture that AI can interpret faster than any human team.
The partnership will accelerate research, development, and digital transformation across the naval in-service support enterprise. Projects already planned for launch this year will benefit from rapid integration of AI-powered solutions through Thales’ AI incubator, cortAIx, and Cohere’s next-generation large language models.
For Thales Canada, enabling sovereign AI development is a strategic priority—one that directly supports Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy and strengthens the country’s defence and technological base. It also gives the Canadian Armed Forces direct access to homegrown, future-ready capabilities.
“Thales is committed to delivering value to our customers, with a focus on flexibility, speed and mission effectiveness,” said Ian Krepps, CEO, Thales Canada. “Partnering with Cohere enables us to rapidly deploy new, sovereign AI-powered capabilities for our customers, including the Canadian Armed Forces. This partnership reflects our commitment to providing our customers with agile, future-ready Canadian AI solutions that deliver value, capability and unlock new capacity.”
Agentic AI: The New Frontier for Naval Support
Unlike traditional AI systems that rely heavily on predefined inputs, agentic AI tools can perceive, analyze, learn from, and adapt to fluid environments—making them ideal for maritime missions. These capabilities can streamline everything from predictive maintenance and logistics planning to situational awareness and operational decision support.
By integrating these systems into naval workflows, the partnership aims to enhance mission readiness, reduce downtime, and expand capacity for Canada’s naval teams both at sea and ashore.
For Cohere, the partnership represents a milestone in bringing responsible, defence-focused AI solutions into operational use—while ensuring these tools remain secure, sovereign, and aligned with national priorities.
“This partnership with Thales Canada marks a strategic leap in responsibly deploying AI for national defence,” said Ivan Zhang, Co-founder, Cohere. “Together, we’re bringing secure, sovereign AI solutions to Canada’s maritime forces that analyze complex naval environments in real time. Our agentic systems will deliver actionable intelligence at operational speed, directly enhancing mission readiness while strengthening Canada’s position as a global leader in AI adoption.”
Strengthening Canada’s Naval Advantage
As the defence community accelerates its digital transformation, partnerships like this one serve as catalysts—bringing advanced capabilities online faster than ever. For Canada, it is an opportunity to embrace innovation while reinforcing national sovereignty over critical AI technologies.
By combining Thales’ deep operational legacy with Cohere’s AI innovation engine, this collaboration promises not just incremental improvements but a generational shift in how naval forces evaluate data, make decisions, and sustain readiness in Canada’s evolving maritime landscape.
The message is clear: the future of naval in-service support is intelligent, adaptive, and Canadian-made.
