The U.S. Navy is enlisting Palantir Technologies (PLTR) to support its long-running push to accelerate submarine construction, betting that the software company’s data and AI tools can help identify bottlenecks across a strained shipbuilding supply chain.
Under a new effort known as ShipOS, Palantir will provide its Foundry platform and Artificial Intelligence Platform to the Navy, the two organizations said Tuesday. Financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.
Navy leaders are aiming to use technology to improve production timelines for the Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines, programs that have struggled with schedule slippage and rising costs. The Columbia-class effort alone is expected to cost about $130 billion and is being built by General Dynamics and HII.
Palantir (PLTR) said the initial rollout of the software will cover two major private shipbuilders along with three public shipyards, though the facilities were not named. The tools are intended to give shipbuilders improved visibility into factory-floor activity while digitally linking suppliers through what the company described as an “intelligent logistics” network.
The move further expands Palantir’s footprint within the U.S. military. The company already supplies systems such as the Army’s TITAN mobile intelligence platform, and its Maven Smart System has been adopted across multiple branches of the armed forces.
Palantir (PLTR) said longstanding challenges in submarine production have been exacerbated by disconnected systems and fragmented data, limiting visibility into capacity and contributing to delays and cost overruns. Navy and industry officials have previously cited workforce shortages as well as issues among subcontractors as key factors slowing progress.
By integrating AI-driven analytics across shipyards and suppliers, the Navy hopes the new platform can help surface problems earlier and streamline coordination throughout the submarine industrial base.