Leonardo Team Up With London-based Faculty AI To Advance Defencetech

The goal is to build advanced defence technologies using artificial intelligence (AI). The UK government is also increasing defence spending and wants more companies to take part in national security projects.

This partnership follows a trend in Europe where big defence companies are working with smaller tech firms to speed up innovation.

“Our goal is to move beyond a transactional prime-supplier relationship,” said Professor Simon Harwood, Capability Director at Leonardo UK. “We’ll be looking for opportunities where Leonardo’s expertise in defence electronics sensors and integration, military rotorcraft and cyber security can incorporate the AI expertise of Faculty to deliver something of tangible benefit to our customers.”

Faculty AI is one of the UK’s leading independent AI companies. They have experience using AI to help organisations work more efficiently and make better decisions in real-life situations.

They’ve worked with the NHS and UK government, and their AI systems are already used in important and tightly controlled environments.

“We’ve used AI to solve frontline problems for a decade and are world-leading experts in this field,” said Marc Warner, CEO of Faculty AI. “AI is already reshaping defence – enabling faster, more accurate decision-making, improved threat detection and greater operational efficiency. This collaboration underscores our mission to deliver AI to enhance national security while ensuring it is deployed safely and ethically.”

Leonardo and Faculty AI plan to work together to create smarter defence tools. These will include AI-powered systems for gathering intelligence, spotting threats, and improving battlefield equipment—like targeting sensors and protection systems.

Leonardo already sells products like the BriteCloud decoy and BriteStorm jammer worldwide. With Faculty’s AI skills, they hope to make these tools even more advanced.

In addition to developing new products, Leonardo will also use Faculty’s AI at its own UK sites. The aim is to make their factories more efficient, speed up production, and help teams make better decisions.

Leonardo also plans to launch Faculty Fellowships, giving recent PhD and MSc graduates the chance to work on short-term AI projects inside the company. The goal is to support homegrown talent and bring cutting-edge tech skills into the UK’s defence sector.

This partnership comes at a time when the UK government is focusing more on building strong local supply chains and boosting national security. Leaders like Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and the Ministry of Defence want more small UK companies to help drive innovation and strengthen the economy.

About Leonardo

Leonardo is a global company that works in aerospace, defence, and security. It designs and builds many types of products, like helicopters, planes, electronic systems, cybersecurity tools, and space technology.