BREAKING: Palantir Selected To Build TITAN Program Competitive Prototype
Palantir has been awarded the ability to compete for a $36M contract from the US government. From their press release,
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR) announced today that it is one of two companies awarded a prime contract by the Army to build a prototype for the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN), the first Intelligence ground station enabled by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML). The $36 million contract award is for the competitive prototyping phase that will span 14 months.
The TITAN program brings together a variety of systems, technologies, and vendors to ensure scalability. Palantir’s Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA) will be the critical backbone that provides correlation, fusion, and integration of sensor data alongside insights from AI/ML overlaid at the tactical edge. With TITAN, the Army will be able to merge varied data from a rapidly proliferating series of sensors, enabling frontline forces to gain situational awareness and make real-time decisions at transformative speeds. This effort is a critical enabler that advances the Army towards JADC2 and deters the near-peer threat.
Palantir Once Sued The Government
It's also important to remember why Palantir is even in this position. A few years back, the Military's procurement process for software was an archaic process driven by people who knew nothing about technology.
Palantir sued the government and won. The goal of suing them was to force the government to actually pick the best people with the best technology solutions to the problems they needed to address, versus having a politically based non-technical way of procuring software.
Palantir knew they had the best technology, and after winning the case, went on to win many government contracts, including a $116M Army Vantage contract in December 2021.
From the PR,
"This award is a successful progression of the Army’s competitive software-centric approach to the January 2021 design phase of the TITAN Program in which both Palantir and Raytheon were selected for a 12-month competitive effort. Both vendors will build a prototype in the next phase for evaluation and testing by soldiers and the community. As a non-traditional prime contractor, Palantir is committed in its approach to partnering with the nation’s best traditional and non-traditional partners like Anduril Industries, L3 Harris, Pacific Defense, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Strategic Technology Consulting, and World Wide Technology to build open and interoperable systems for the military operator at lower cost points. Palantir’s MOSA approach allows for easy integration of vendor capabilities, like SpaceX’s Starlink system or Forcepoint’s security offerings, to be quickly onboarded and offboarded as needed, ensuring the seamless collection and sharing of Intelligence across the Army, Joint Force, and Intelligence community from Joint, Space, Aerial, and terrestrial sensors."
Palantir Wants To Be The First Software Prime Contractor
Palantir has not been shy to explain their grand ambitions around become the 6th prime contractor for the US government, the first software prime contractor.
If Palantir is able to execute against their thesis around this mission for becoming a prime software contractor with the USG, the possibilities are endless.
They will have endless opportunities to work with various government agencies
They will set the precedent for European nations to want to work with them
They will get larger deals and be able to build more unique government products
Becoming a software prime is very ambitious. Some would even call it impossible. If any company had the ability to provide software that could actually do what the government needed it to do in mission critical situations - it would be Palantir.
The ability to even be selected to compete for contracts like these showcases how the government believes Palantir's software could play a major role in transforming the military's ability to compete and stay technologically superior.
From the PR,
“Now more than ever, the Nation’s warriors and allies are being asked to make more decisions, at a faster speed, with more available data,” said Aki Jain, President of Palantir USG. “TITAN is the crucial combination of the Defense Industry’s best technology from both emerging and enduring DOD partners, and we’re proud to serve as a non-traditional prime contractor for this effort.”
While there is no guarantee that Palantir gets this contract, the ability to compete and have a meritocratic opportunity is what is important here to ensure Palantir has the ability to prove themselves as a vital prime contractor to the government.
Time will tell if they are able to accomplish this, but being in the ring is what we can count on for now.
Here's a video of me speaking about this news as well:
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