Thales announced Thursday that it has won two new PERSEUS awards for its innovations in electronic warfare, recognizing the company’s CURCO radar detector for drones and Golden AI, an artificial intelligence-based analysis tool.
The PERSEUS distinctions, awarded by the French Navy, the Delegation Generale de l'Armement and the Agence de l’Innovation de Defense, reinforce Thales’ position as a major defense partner. The company was previously honored in 2023 for its Sentinel electronic warfare solution.
CURCO is a lightweight, compact electronic warfare payload designed for drones and adaptable to air, sea and land platforms. It meets SWAP (size, weight and power) requirements and can define the electromagnetic environment across a wide frequency band. According to Thales, the system provides fast and accurate detection of enemy radar emissions and delivers real-time tactical information to operators. Tested during two exercises in 2024 and 2025 with the French Navy, CURCO will later offer an optional onboard jammer designed to disrupt hostile radar systems.
Golden AI represents a major step toward cognitive electronic warfare by accelerating the analysis of radar interceptor (R-ESM) data up to fourfold. The tool allows the training of AI models using archived electromagnetic radar interceptions and analyzes mission-generated data to identify radar signatures and enrich databases. During ground and onboard evaluations, including the Clemenceau 25 exercise, Golden AI demonstrated its ability to process the Navy’s reference datasets while reducing operator workload, increasing accuracy and improving tactical awareness.
Established in 2003, the PERSEUS program aims to speed the integration of key technologies by connecting naval personnel, DGA engineers and industry partners to swiftly equip the armed forces. As the electromagnetic spectrum becomes increasingly contested amid rising drone use and intensifying global conflicts, Thales says CURCO and Golden AI address critical operational needs for both domestic and export customers.
“With more than 60 years of expertise in electronic warfare, we are proud to once again receive this PERSEUS label for our advances,” said Marie Gayrel, vice president for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at Thales. “It reflects our commitment to rapidly developing practical solutions validated through operational exercises with and for the armed forces.”
