The North Atlantic Alliance has acquired an artificial intelligence-based military system from US company Palantir. The Maven Smart System (MSS Nato) uses generative AI, machine learning and large language models to provide «commanders with secure, collaborative operational capabilities».
The North Atlantic Alliance has acquired an artificial intelligence-based military system from US company Palantir. The Maven Smart System (MSS Nato) uses generative AI, machine learning and large language models to provide «commanders with secure, collaborative operational capabilities».
As the FT reports, NATO is trying to keep up with the development of military artificial intelligence capabilities of its competitors such as China and will use MSS to support current operations.
According to the Alliance, the contract took just six months to sign and is «one of the fastest in NATO history.» The system is expected to be operational within the next 30 days. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is likely to be one of Palantir’s largest defense contracts this year.
Maven is used to combine satellite imagery with other sources of battlefield information, using machine learning to find targets and accelerate attacks.
The US military already uses its own version of the technology, thanks to a five-year, $99.8 million contract with Palantir signed last fall. A similar system is also in use in Ukraine.
Since 2009, Palantir has won $2.7 billion in U.S. government contracts, including more than $1.3 billion from the Pentagon. The company’s shares have risen more than 300% in the past 12 months as investors expect the company to benefit from the Trump administration’s defense spending, as well as from commercial customers who use its artificial intelligence systems.
Project Maven was created in 2017, when it began using Google technology. Google later withdrew from the program after thousands of employees protested the use of artificial intelligence in warfare in 2018.
Early iterations of the system focused on using commercial satellite imagery and algorithms to detect and engage targets. Over time, this process has been greatly improved, from 12 hours to transmit target data in 2020 to less than a minute today.
The rapid development of MSS was driven by a DevSecOps approach, which involves collaboration between military personnel, developers, AI service providers, and testers. This iterative process allowed MSS to evolve rapidly, incorporating real-time feedback from field exercises to enhance its capabilities.
MSS is designed to integrate data from multiple sources, even those not originally included in its software design. It also allows for customizing data access for different ranks and roles in the military hierarchy, thereby increasing its flexibility and interoperability.
Palantir provides NATO with a customized version of Maven, which provides a platform onto which other software applications and data sources can be integrated.
«We are proud to support NATO’s drive to strengthen deterrence by deploying an AI-powered combat platform. This partnership underscores the Alliance’s determination to fearlessly lead through technological innovation», — said Sean Manasco, Senior Advisor at Palantir.
According to NATO officials, MSS «will enhance intelligence fusion, targeting, battlespace awareness, operational planning and decision-making.»
Recall that last fall, the Ministry of Defense announced work on creating a legal framework to legalize the use of software in the army, in particular that developed by Palantir.
Palantir is an American company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, specializing in big data analytics. It was founded by Peter Thiel, Nathan Gettings, Joe Lonsdale, Steven Cohen, and Alex Karp in 2003.
In June 2022, the Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, met with Alex Karp, who stated that the company was ready to become a partner of Ukraine and open an office here (which soon happened) to begin joint developments with Ukrainian specialists.
