Air Force running pilot program to expand AI mission control capabilities

The Air Force awarded Palantir an $8 million, one-year contract to see if current commercial artificial intelligence mission control software and services can be used to support the 7th Air Force in South Korea, according to a Defense Department announcement earlier this month.

The contract is a pilot project using existing software capabilities “to accelerate combined dynamic targeting missions and processes by providing software tools that introduce automation into existing workflows,” the announcement states.

“The objective of this pilot is to evaluate the feasibility of extending Palantir software capabilities, currently leveraged by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, for reuse in Seventh Air Force’s combined U.S. and Republic of Korea Air Force operational environment,” service spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said.

The 607th Air and Space Operations Center -- which runs command and control for the INDOPACOM and U.S. Forces Korea -- will run the pilot through Aug. 4, 2025.