Thales and the Netherlands Aerospace Center (NLR) will support the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) in the development of an Air Power Information Hub platform, Thales announced on 12 March.

The platform will improve cooperation between military and civil partners in the security domain, through the secure sharing of air force information.

At the RNLAF's Air Operations Control Station in Nieuw-Milligen (AOCS NM), aerial information is collected which is valuable for civil partners - such as the police, coast guard, safety region and the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security - for the execution of their tasks.

This information enables the civil partners to obtain an exact aerial picture of the location of an aircraft, hot air balloon, helicopter or UAS. The Air Power Information Hub will ensure that this classified information is exchanged quickly and securely between the air force and partners in the security domain to create a more complete image and improve the decision-making and execution process.

Thales, NLR and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence will develop the technology, create the prototype and demonstrate the information hub. Thales has developed the cybersecurity technology called Martello, which shares secure information with security domain partners.

Mike Balm, director of new business at Thales, said: ‘There is an urgent need for this digital information exchange, to create a joint image in order to work better and safer. AOCS NM will remain in full control of the information shared in the Air Power Information Hub.

‘AOCS NM can decide real-time what information will be received by which stakeholder and during which period. Information can then be transferred and analysed more accurately and quickly turn into actions.’