The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is actively working on the creation of legal mechanisms to legalize the use of software developed by the American company Palantir in the Ukrainian army. This was announced by Kateryna Chernogorenko, Deputy Minister of Defense for Digitization, during a speech at the IT Arena technology conference.
Palantir is a well-known provider of data analytics software, working with organizations such as the CIA and the US and UK defense departments. In 2023, the company achieved revenue of $2.23 billion, of which net income was $210 million. In Ukraine, Palantir implements six different projects.
Chernogorenko emphasized that the ministry is focused on ensuring the legal use of all developments, including cooperation with Palantir
“We are focused on ensuring that all developments, including with the Palantir company, are legalized. We must give the military the ability to work securely with data on any platform.”, – said Kateryna Chernogorenko during the press conference
Since 2014, the Ukrainian army has been actively using various software developed mainly by volunteers. Among the most famous examples are systems for artillery support “Nettle”, GisArta and “Bronya” for hitting targets from closed positions. Meanwhile, the only officially approved IT product in the military today is the Delta situational awareness system, which the government approved for use by the security and defense forces at a meeting on February 4, 2023.
From 2022, the Ukrainian army began to integrate the developments of Palantir, a company with a capitalization of $16.6 billion. Its systems combine dozens of databases and analyze information with the help of artificial intelligence, identifying connections and predicting the development of events.
One of Palantir’s new developments, which the Ukrainian military uses on the front, is the Skykit mobile intelligence centers. According to the French publication L’Express, the Ukrainian military received these complexes even before their official presentation in January 2023. The Skykit includes a suitcase with batteries, two monitors, a laptop, a Quadcopter drone, an antenna, a Trailcam Nano camera and Meta-Constellation software. This complex allows you to connect to one of 40 satellites flying over Ukraine and use data processed by artificial intelligence for intelligence.
