Palantir to Develop Battlefield Analysis AI Tools for US Army

The U.S. Army has awarded Palantir Technologies a $480 million contract to kickstart the prototyping phase for an AI-enabled tool designed for battlefield analysis.

Over the next five years, the Department of Defence (DoD) plans to expand the utilization of this system to include thousands of users across five combatant commands: U.S. Central Command, European Command, Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command, and Transportation Command.

The project, known as the “Maven Smart System,” is focused on leveraging AI and machine learning capabilities to enhance the efficiency of military operations.

Palantir will develop an AI system that will integrate various data sources such as satellite imagery, geolocation data, and communications intercepts into a unified interface for battlefield analysis.

Once developed, the Maven system could be integrated into the U.S. military’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control to help commanders make faster and better decisions.

Last month, the Army's chief information officer revealed that the department is nearing the release of a new directive aimed at guiding the utilization of generative artificial intelligence, particularly focusing on large language models (LLMs).

“We continue to see the demand signal. And though there is lots of immaturity in this space, we’re working through what that looks like from a cyber perspective and how we’re going to treat that. So we’re gonna have some initial policy coming out,” Army CIO Leo Garciga said Thursday during a webinar hosted by AFCEA NOVA.

The Maven Smart System is an integral component of Project Maven, a program initiated by the Department of Defense in 2017 to accelerate the incorporation of big data and machine learning technologies into the U.S. military arsenal.