Palantir, Anduril, SpaceX and OpenAI will form a consortium specifically to receive US defense contracts, according to a report by The Financial Times. Also involved are the firm Saronic, which produces self-sailing ships, and Scale AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) data company. The consortium is expected to be announced in January.
The consortium will work together to become a new generation of defense contractors that compete with well-known legacy companies Boeing, Lockheed and Northrop Grumman. The battlefield of the future will require smarter weapons systems and the increased use of drones that reduce the risk to human operators.
If the consortium becomes a reality, it raises questions about the personal conflict of Elon Musk, who now heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Since being appointed, Musk has sent dozens of tweets criticizing the use of warplanes such as the F-35, which he believes are wasteful because they are no longer considered to meet the needs of the United States. Will he use his power to benefit his own company?
Anduril has already worked with Microsoft to develop a smart network and sensor system that is paired with the IVAS headset. They have also developed their own kamikaze drones and drone-counter drones, all with built-in AI. Meanwhile, SpaceX will develop a Starship-based cargo rocket for the Pentagon.