Pentagon awards $20 billion contract to Anduril
The defense startup Anduril has no need to worry about its future for a long time: the Pentagon is paying up to 20 billion US dollars.
Anduril's 'EagleEye' augmented reality helmet
(Image: Anduril Industries)
This week, the US Department of Defense awarded a new framework agreement to Anduril, a company founded by Oculus inventor Palmer Luckey. This agreement runs for five years and can be extended for another five years thereafter, as reported by Bloomberg. The total volume is 20 billion US dollars. This includes hardware, software, and service for the US Army.
The Pentagon mentions only the AI system "Lattice" as the only concrete product named by the Pentagon. This is Anduril's AI platform, which can link various data sources, including information from sensors of (autonomous) drones. Lattice OS can reportedly display 3D models of a combat area, among other things. A Pentagon spokesperson told Bloomberg: "The modern battlefield is increasingly determined by software."
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Anduril is thus alongside OpenAI and Palantir already the third major AI company whose products the Pentagon is deploying. According to the US administration, AI systems are also being used in the war against Iraq, which began 16 days ago. Anduril differs from the other Pentagon partners because it produces not only software but also hardware. This includes aerial and sea-based drones as well as AR systems for soldiers.
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