Army awards Palantir $48.1M to modernize ammo management

The U.S. Army awarded a subsidiary of Palantir Technologies a $48.1 million contract to develop software designed to improve how the service tracks and manages ammunition.

According to last week’s announcement, the new software will streamline ammunition management by consolidating nine separate legacy platforms.

“Ultimately, this system is one element to modernize overall ammunition systems, retire legacy systems and improve audit readiness,” the service said.

The software will use “commercial low-code, no-code technology” and give soldiers the ability to track munitions throughout their lifecycle, the Army said.

That includes everything from “planning, production, and procurement, to storage, surveillance, distribution, expenditure, and final disposition,” according to the service.

The contract comes as the Army works to address longstanding problems with its ammunition management systems.

In March, the Army’s Line of Departure journal published an article describing shortcomings in the service’s existing ammunition processes, including inaccurate forecasting and disconnected digital systems.

According to the article, ammunition forecasts at lower levels often rely on assumptions and historical trends rather than actual demand tied to training cycles.

The legacy systems also operate independently, meaning changes to training schedules may not be reflected across the ammunition management process in real time.

“The result is an accountability model failing to meet the operational tempo or digital expectations of the modern force,” the article says.

Over the past few years alone, Palantir has led or contributed to several programs for integrating artificial intelligence into workflows and decision-making, including Army Vantage, Next Generation Command and Control and the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node .

However, Palantir might be best known for the Maven Smart System , or MSS, an AI-enabled system used by all branches of service that’s designed to present intelligence data to enhance operational decisions like targeting options.

For the ammo management software, the Army said Palantir beat out the competition through a three-phase selection process over a six-week period.

“Vendors were evaluated on key capabilities including integrating data from disparate legacy systems, the ability to provide robust planning and forecast models, and support tactical users in disconnected or low-bandwidth environments,” the Army said.

Under the agreement, Palantir will develop the new software over the next 12 months and provide support for an additional five years.

Daniel Terrill is a contributor to Military Times. He’s been reporting on military issues, the gun industry, and the outdoors for nearly two decades. Although writing is his passion, he’s been a Marine, police officer, and, perhaps the most dangerous job of his career, a substitute teacher.

美国陆军授予 Palantir Technologies 的一家子公司一份价值 4810 万美元的合同，用于开发旨在改进陆军跟踪和管理弹药方式的软件。

根据上周的公告，新软件将整合九个独立的传统平台，从而简化弹药管理。

“最终，该系统是实现弹药系统整体现代化、淘汰老旧系统和提高审计准备能力的一个组成部分，”该部门表示。

陆军表示，该软件将采用“商业低代码、无代码技术”，使士兵能够跟踪弹药的整个生命周期。

据该机构称，这包括从“计划、生产和采购，到存储、监控、分发、支出和最终处置”的一切环节。

这份合同的签订正值陆军努力解决其弹药管理系统长期存在的问题之际。

今年 3 月，陆军的《出发线》期刊发表了一篇文章，描述了该军种现有弹药流程的不足之处，包括预测不准确和数字系统脱节。

文章指出，低层弹药预测往往依赖于假设和历史趋势，而不是与训练周期相关的实际需求。

旧系统也独立运行，这意味着训练计划的变更可能无法实时反映在弹药管理流程中。

文章指出：“其结果是，问责模式未能满足现代部队的作战节奏或数字化期望。”

仅在过去几年中，Palantir 就领导或参与了多个将人工智能集成到工作流程和决策中的项目，包括 Army Vantage、下一代指挥与控制以及战术情报目标访问节点。

然而，Palantir 最为人熟知的可能是 Maven 智能系统（MSS），这是一个人工智能系统，被所有军种使用，旨在提供情报数据以增强作战决策，例如目标选择。

陆军表示，在弹药管理软件方面，Palantir 在为期六周的三阶段遴选过程中击败了竞争对手。

陆军表示：“对供应商的关键能力进行了评估，包括整合来自不同传统系统的数据、提供强大的规划和预测模型的能力，以及在断网或低带宽环境下支持战术用户的能力。”

根据协议，Palantir 将在未来 12 个月内开发新软件，并提供支持长达五年。

丹尼尔·特里尔是《军事时报》的撰稿人。近二十年来，他一直报道军事问题、枪支行业和户外运动。虽然写作是他的挚爱，但他曾是一名海军陆战队员、一名警察，还做过一份或许是他职业生涯中最危险的工作——代课老师。