Anduril and Palantir Technologies are working together to develop software for US President Donald Trump's Golden Dome anti-missile shield initiative, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
The $185 billion Golden Dome missile defense project aims to build a space-based shield capable of intercepting ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles, with hundreds of companies vying for a role in developing the shield.
Anduril and Palantir have been interested in being a part of the Golden Dome since its inception. Reuters reported last year that the firms were working with Elon Musk's SpaceX on various parts of the project.
Anduril was also among the companies that were awarded half a dozen small Golden Dome contracts in November to build competing missile defense prototypes.
Aalyria Technologies, startup Scale AI and software firm Swoop Technologies are also working on the project, the source added.
The companies did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported the development on Tuesday.
The software would connect the radars and other sensors to detect and track airborne threats. The software would also allow operators to control the various weaponry that would be used to intercept the threats.
Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman had earlier joined the program as prime contractors.
The price tag for the project has increased by $10 billion to $185 billion in a bid to accelerate key space-based capabilities, the program's director said last week.
Earlier this month, Anduril won a contract worth up to $20 billion to integrate advanced commercial technologies into a unified, AI‑driven operational system for the US Army.
Anduril was founded by Palmer Luckey in 2017 and has since been awarded numerous contract awards by the Pentagon and around the world for its defense solutions. The company is currently in the process of raising up to $8 billion at a valuation of an estimated $60 billion.
Last week, the Pentagon said that Palantir’s Maven artificial intelligence system will become an official program of record for the US military.
Maven is a command-and-control software platform that analyzes battlefield data and identifies targets. Designating Maven as a program of record will streamline its adoption across all arms of the military and provide stable, long-term funding.
Maven is already the primary AI operating system for the US military, which has carried out thousands of targeted strikes against Iran over the last three weeks.