United States Army: $480M Palantir Maven AI Contract

A military service and contracting actor

The United States Army traces its official establishment to June 14, 1775. In the Atlas’s AI history, its relevant role includes procuring software used for intelligence and military decision support. [1][2][4]

The Maven award

The May 2024 Maven Smart System contract names Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground as the contracting activity. The official notice records a $480 million firm-fixed-price award to Palantir USG for the prototype, one bid and an estimated May 2029 completion date. Work locations and funding were to be determined with each order. [3]

Contemporary coverage describes Maven’s AI-enabled intelligence and targeting functions. Later reporting identifies the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground as the awarding agency and the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the funding agency for the contract. Those roles and the wider defense users are distinct; the award does not establish either a same-day $480 million payment or the first use of AI targeting. [4][5][3]