Scale AI Awarded Lead Role in Pentagon's Thunderforge AI Military Planning Program

March 5, 2025

Details

  • Scale AI has been awarded a prime contract as of March 5, 2025, to lead the development of Thunderforge, the Department of Defense’s flagship AI initiative for modernizing operational planning, overseen by the Defense Innovation Unit.
  • The project involves key partnerships with Anduril, leveraging its Lattice platform, and Microsoft, integrating large language models to power AI-driven planning solutions at the INDOPACOM and EUCOM combat commands.
  • Thunderforge’s approach combines advanced agentic workflows with strict human oversight, enabling AI-assisted simulations for wargaming, resource management, and campaign planning across multiple military domains.
  • The system is designed to replace legacy Cold War-era planning models, drastically reducing military decision cycles from weeks to days in scenarios involving near-peer competition.
  • The initial $47 million prototype contract emphasizes secure handling of classified data and the coordination of assets across air, sea, and cyber theaters using AI-powered tools.

Impact

This contract cements Scale AI’s emerging leadership among U.S. defense technology companies and accelerates the Department of Defense’s adoption of commercial AI in critical missions. Thunderforge’s collaborative model with industry heavyweights like Anduril and Microsoft exemplifies the military’s push toward faster, more integrated joint operations against global competitors. Its success could spur broader adoption of AI in military planning across U.S. forces by 2026.

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