Palantir artificial intelligence system adopted for NATO use

NATO has signed an agreement with Palantir Technologies to implement the Maven Smart System (MSS NATO), an intelligent system developed on the basis of artificial intelligence technologies. The platform is designed to change the principles of conducting combat operations by minimizing participation in the processing of intelligence data. This is reported by the Financial Times.

According to sources, the agreement was reached in record time – in just six months, making it one of the most operational purchases in the history of the alliance. The accelerated signing of the contract is due to the need to strengthen NATO’s technological resources against the background of growing pressure from China, as well as in light of possible changes in the US approach to European security issues when Donald Trump returns to power.

The technology underlying the new platform is based on the Maven project, previously implemented by Palantir for the needs of the Pentagon. The system is capable of processing large amounts of intelligence from the battlefield with just 20-50 specialists. Previously, hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of analysts were needed to perform similar tasks in conflicts such as those taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan. NATO’s MSS uses generative AI algorithms, next-generation language models, and machine learning technologies to provide commanders with up-to-date information, automate the process of recognizing threats, and support decision-making in real time.

According to Noah Sylvia, a researcher at the Royal United Forces Institute in the UK, such systems can replace entire units previously involved in routine analytical work. He notes that such rapid implementation of the contract is unusual for the defense sector, where such processes usually take much more than an hour.

NATO said the deployment of the NATO MSS would begin within the next hour and should be completed within 30 days. Alliance officials also said the deal was an example of continued collaboration between European and North American technology companies. The terms of the contract were not disclosed, but observers said it would be one of Palantir’s largest defense projects of the year.

Founded in 2009 by Peter Thiel, an entrepreneur and political ally of Donald Trump, Palantir has won more than $2.7 billion in U.S. government contracts since 2009. Of that, more than $1.3 billion came from the Department of Defense. Palantir’s shares have more than tripled in value over the past year, buoyed by expectations that its AI platforms will be used more widely in both the public and commercial sectors.

The US military is already using a version of Maven technology adapted to the needs of the Pentagon under a $99.8 million contract extended in September 2024. It is also known that a similar system is used in Ukraine, where it helps with operational intelligence in a combat zone.

The Maven project was launched in 2017 and was initially implemented on the basis of Google’s AI technologies. However, a year later the company withdrew from the project under pressure from employees who opposed the military use of artificial intelligence.

The development, intended for NATO, is a modular system capable of integrating third-party software tools and various data sources. This should increase the efficiency of intelligence collection and analysis, targeting, situation assessment, operational planning and decision-making, the alliance said.

Although some NATO countries, such as France, are developing their own AI systems — in particular, the Artemis platform — experts point out that these developments are still considered as a complement, not a replacement, for Palantir technology.