Saab Selected by Office of Naval Research to Develop AI Capabilities in West Lafayette, Indiana
Saab has been selected by the office of Naval research to develop next-wave Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities to increase battlespace situational awareness by automatically detecting and characterizing threats in complex environments. The contract was awarded on December 30, 2022 for USD 13.3 million. This work will take place in West Lafayette, Indiana in partnership with Purdue University, keeping Saab’s commitment to expand and grow in the Hoosier state.
Saab and Purdue University will develop next-wave AI to better synthesize and convey situational information for surface vessel protection. This research effort includes innovations in Explainable AI (XAI) and Federated Learning. XAI software provides additional context and rationale behind AI results, increasing trustworthiness of AI systems and enabling faster decision making. Federated Learning software controls how knowledge gained from individual AI systems is aggregated and shared efficiently with a distributed system of AI systems.
The Threat and Situational Understanding with Networked-Online Machine Intelligence (TSUNOMI) program will sustain and grow at least 15 autonomy and artificial intelligence jobs in Indiana. This work will be carried out over four years.
“TSUNOMI is an important win for Saab,” said Erik Smith, President and CEO of Saab, Inc. “We said we would plant roots and grow in Indiana and that’s exactly what we’re doing. This program represents a real step towards robust and trusted artificial intelligence. TSUNOMI will help stakeholders make decisions quicker and with more confidence.”