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A key US military taskforce has selected a cutting-edge artificial intelligence platform developed by Anduril Industries as its core command-and-control system for countering hostile drones, marking a significant step in efforts to modernise air defence.
The Army-led Joint Interagency Task Force–401 (JIATF-401) will adopt Anduril’s “Lattice” software as its enterprise-wide tactical command-and-control platform for counter-uncrewed aircraft systems (C-UAS), under an initial contract worth about US$87 million.
The decision forms part of a much larger agreement valued at up to US$20 billion over the next decade designed to streamline how the US military and government agencies procure and deploy advanced defence technologies.
Lattice is designed to act as a digital “backbone”, linking sensors, weapons and autonomous systems into a single operational network. The platform fuses data from radars, cameras and electronic warfare systems, allowing operators to detect, track and respond to drone threats more quickly and effectively.
Officials said the move addresses a longstanding challenge in modern warfare – the fragmentation of systems that prevents different technologies from working together seamlessly. By introducing a common command-and-control layer, the US aims to improve coordination across military services and government agencies.
The JIATF-401 contract represents the first major task order under the new enterprise agreement and is intended to validate Lattice’s performance in real-world operations.
The broader initiative will allow agencies to rapidly adopt new counter-drone capabilities without negotiating separate contracts, reducing duplication and accelerating deployment of critical systems.
The move comes amid rising concern about the proliferation of uncrewed aerial systems, which are increasingly shaping battlefields and posing risks to both military forces and civilian infrastructure.
By establishing a unified command platform, US defence officials hope to create a more agile and integrated response to these threats, enabling faster decision making and more effective engagement of hostile drones.
The adoption of Lattice signals a broader shift towards software-driven warfare, where the ability to integrate and process data across multiple systems is becoming as critical as the hardware itself.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
