Best AI for Defense & Aerospace (2026)

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) control the export of defense articles, services, and technical data. Any AI tool that processes ITAR-controlled technical data must ensure that data is not "exported" to foreign persons or foreign-accessible systems. Cloud AI providers with international operations, foreign national employees, or overseas data centers can create ITAR compliance risks. Local AI like AirgapAI eliminates these concerns.

Using cloud AI with ITAR data requires careful analysis. You must verify: no foreign national access to the data or systems, data centers are US-only with US-person-only access, the cloud provider's ITAR compliance posture, and your company's specific export control obligations. Many defense contractors find that local, air-gapped AI is the simplest path to ITAR compliance.

AirgapAI's architecture supports deployment in environments from unclassified to classified. For classified environments, AirgapAI can be installed on approved classified networks with appropriate accreditation. The 100% local processing means no external connections, simplifying security certification. Contact us for specific classification level requirements.

AI accelerates every phase of proposal development: drafting technical volumes, developing management approaches, creating BOE narratives, writing past performance sections, and ensuring compliance matrix completeness. AirgapAI customers report 60-80% reduction in first draft creation time, enabling teams to pursue more opportunities with the same resources.

Key aerospace workflows include: requirements decomposition and traceability, CDRL document creation, test procedure development, engineering change documentation, failure analysis reports, manufacturing planning, and supplier quality documentation. AirgapAI includes 2,800+ workflows covering these and other technical documentation needs.

Deployment timelines vary by security requirements: for unclassified environments, AirgapAI deploys in weeks with end-to-end support. For environments requiring security accreditation (RMF, etc.), the AI deployment itself is quick but the authorization process follows your standard timelines. Cloud alternatives typically require 6-12 months for Azure Government/GovCloud setup.

Yes, AI can accelerate CMMC compliance efforts by generating documentation (SSPs, POA&Ms, policies), analyzing gap assessments, and maintaining compliance records. AirgapAI's local processing also simplifies your CMMC boundary by eliminating cloud systems from your assessment scope, reducing both compliance cost and complexity.