Palantir Technologies has been awarded a $480 million contract by the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) to deploy its Maven AI warfighting code across the Department of Defense (DoD). This contract, aimed at developing a Maven Smart System (MSS) prototype, is set to be completed by 2029.
The contract specifies that Palantir, the sole bidder, will provide licenses across the DoD over a five-year period. The initial phase involves a $153 million order to implement the MSS at various combatant commands and the joint staff, with further deployments planned. This is an expansion of the partnership between Palantir and the DoD that was announced last September.
Palantir received a $178 million contract for the Army’s TITAN ground station vehicle, an AI-defined vehicle providing actionable targeting information for enhanced mission command and long-range precision fires. Karp noted that TITAN extends Maven’s capabilities.
Project Maven, initiated in 2017, employs artificial intelligence models and algorithms to identify battlefield targets from surveillance data, including drone footage. The project has been operational since late last year, following an attack by Hamas on Israel, according to the US military. The project is a part of the so-called AI Arms race by global militaries.
The Maven Smart System is part of Project Maven, the Pentagon’s flagship artificial intelligence program. It processes data from multiple sources, such as satellite imagery and geolocation data, to automatically detect potential targets. The five-year contract, announced on May 29, will expand the system’s use to thousands of users at five combatant commands: U.S. Central Command, European Command, Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command, and Transportation Command. The system will also be available to members of the Joint Staff.
Palantir’s CEO, Alex Karp, has highlighted the company’s pivotal role in the Maven project since Google withdrew due to employee protests. The Kentucky National Guard’s 138th Field Artillery Brigade has been utilizing the MSS while stationed in Qatar. The MSS leverages AI-generated algorithms and memory learning capabilities to distinguish enemy systems from other objects in drone footage.
