Helsing hands Germany ownership of combat-system software

By Maria Rugamer

Nov 4 (Reuters) - German defence AI firm Helsing said on Wednesday it had handed Germany's military procurement agency the source code for a mission operating system intended for future combat drones and other air warfare systems, giving the government ownership of software that has traditionally remained in industry hands.

Known as MissionOSBw, the software is a key part of Germany's Combat Fighter System of Systems Nucleus (CFSN) programme, approved by the parliament in July. 

Worth about €580 million ($651 million), according to industry documents previously reported by Politico, the project includes two experimental uncrewed combat aircraft, ground control stations, autonomy software and a government-owned reference architecture. It is being developed by a consortium led by Helsing alongside Hensoldt, Rohde & Schwarz, MBDA and Diehl Defence.

Helsing said it had transferred the source code, documentation and software development kit to procurement agency BAAINBw, with ownership of the software remaining with the German state.

The arrangement is unusual in a defence industry where prime contractors often retain control over key software, interfaces and intellectual property.

The software is designed to allow modules from different suppliers to be added, upgraded or replaced independently, reducing reliance on a single contractor. Helsing said it followed the Modular Open Systems Approach, a model intended to speed up upgrades and simplify integration of new capabilities.

The emphasis on state ownership comes after years of disputes over industrial control in Europe's future combat-air programmes.

The fighter element of European FCAS air defence programme had become mired in clashes between Dassault Aviation and Airbus Defence and Space over leadership and share of work, while CFSN is built around software owned by the German state rather than any individual contractor.

($1 = 0.8905 euros)

(Reporting by Maria Rugamer in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)