Officials familiar with the programme say tasks that once took roughly 160 staff hours to plan and sequence can now be completed in about 10 minutes, with the system drawing on live operational data, historical maintenance records and supply-chain inputs. The change targets a chronic bottleneck in US naval shipbuilding and sustainment, where submarines and surface vessels have spent extended periods awaiting repairs because of planning backlogs rather than physical work.
The effort is backed by a contract package valued at about $448 million, covering software, deployment and long-term support. The agreement expands Palantir’s footprint from pilot projects into fleet-wide adoption, integrating data from shipyards, contractors and Navy logistics systems. Senior officers involved in the rollout describe it as a practical response to years of maintenance overruns that have constrained the availability of attack submarines and ballistic-missile boats.
At the core of the system is Palantir’s Foundry platform, customised to fuse disparate data sets that were previously siloed across multiple commands. Maintenance planners can see, in near real time, which components are due for servicing, what skilled labour is available, whether parts are in stock and how schedule changes ripple through the wider fleet. The software then generates optimised maintenance plans that can be stress-tested against different scenarios, such as supplier delays or workforce shortages.
Naval leaders argue the value lies not only in speed but also in decision quality. By modelling thousands of variables simultaneously, the AI can flag risks that human planners might miss and suggest alternative sequences that reduce idle time in dry docks. Early deployments at selected public shipyards have shown measurable reductions in planning errors and rework, according to officials briefed on the results.
The programme arrives as the Navy faces mounting pressure to improve readiness amid intensifying competition with peer powers. Submarine availability is viewed as a strategic priority, given the role of undersea forces in intelligence gathering, deterrence and sea-lane protection. Maintenance delays have been a recurring concern raised by lawmakers and auditors, who have warned that industrial inefficiencies erode the fleet’s ability to respond quickly to crises.
Palantir, co-founded by Peter Thiel, has steadily deepened its ties with defence and intelligence agencies by positioning its software as a backbone for operational decision-making rather than a standalone analytics tool. The Navy work builds on earlier deployments across the Department of Defense, including logistics planning and readiness tracking. Company executives have described Ship OS as an operating system for complex organisations, designed to sit above existing tools rather than replace them.
The expansion also reflects a broader trend within military procurement towards commercial software adapted for defence needs. Instead of bespoke systems developed over many years, the Navy is increasingly adopting platforms that can be updated rapidly as requirements change. Advocates say this approach lowers long-term costs and keeps pace with technological advances, though critics caution about vendor dependence and data governance.
Cybersecurity and data integrity remain central considerations. Navy officials say the system operates within accredited defence networks, with strict controls over access and data sharing. Palantir’s platforms are designed to log every decision and data input, creating an audit trail that commanders can review. That transparency is seen as essential for building trust in AI-assisted planning within a traditionally conservative engineering culture.
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