• Anduril Industries and Palantir Technologies are creating a two-tier system of strategic and tactical data leverage. One integrates hardware, AI, and decision-making at the edge; the other aggregates, refines, and enriches at the top.
• If Anduril’s Lattice is the battlefield edge OS, then Palantir’s software is the global command OS. The Pentagon’s incentive structure—designed for fighter jets and submarines—now gets quietly arbitraged into paying for code.
• By providing a stable substrate, these companies shift the industry from static, siloed solutions to dynamic innovation loops more akin to Silicon Valley than the traditional defense-industrial base.
• Anduril’s Lattice and Palantir’s platforms are the infrastructure layer that future defense innovators will build upon, reducing complexity and unlocking new capabilities.
• Both companies capture compounding returns on R&D and relationships. Every sensor integrated into Lattice and every data model refined by Palantir enhances the entire network.
• The big win: everyone benefits from well-defined APIs and common data standards. The DoD’s labyrinthine procurement process shifts from barrier to opportunity when funneled through these platforms.
• The long-term play is a defense “data stack” so entrenched that buyers can’t ignore it and competitors can’t replicate it. This stack amplifies the value of incremental capabilities, turning every new partner integration into a catalyst for growth.