Airbus Signs Cybersecurity Training Contract

The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) has signed a framework contract with Airbus Defence and Space for the training and education of cybersecurity experts at the Ministry of the Armed Forces, including cyber warriors in the armed forces.

The eight-year contract, led by Airbus Defence and Space with co-contractor Neverhack, covers the development, production, and maintenance of training platforms, as well as the delivery of training and coaching services. It includes developing operational cyber defence scenarios.

The project will equip the Cyber Defence Academy of the Cyber Defence Command (COMCYBER) in the Rennes region with a cyber defence training centre. This centre will support the operational preparation of cyber warriors through training courses tailored to different cyber specialisations. The aim is to increase the number of cybersecurity experts and strengthen the cyber defence techniques and operational readiness of the armed forces.

The platforms will simulate attack-defence scenarios in military operations on the digital battlefield and during large-scale exercises at national, joint, or multinational level, such as Orion or DefNet.

Training will address a broad spectrum of cyber threats, including malware attacks, denial of service, data theft, information manipulation, and influence operations such as disinformation on social media. Airbus may collaborate with start-ups and SMEs to incorporate emerging threats and technologies, including artificial intelligence, into the platform.

The integrated applications will reproduce the environment of the armed forces' networks and systems, including C4ISR and weapons systems. Each use case will feature IT infrastructure, advanced cyberattack simulations, physical effects, and ‘life simulations’ that enhance realism by integrating legitimate, accidental, or malicious user activity.