US Army invests $700M in AI platform to speed battlefield targeting

Striveworks' Chariot system, central to new command-and-control software, compresses hours of analysis into minutes

By LineZotpaper

Published22 October 2026

Read Time2 min

The US Army has signed a $700 million deal with Striveworks to expand the use of its Chariot artificial intelligence platform, which helps soldiers process intelligence and choose targets faster. The agreement, announced Thursday, marks a tenfold increase from the initial enterprise contract and brings the AI system to more units as the Pentagon pours billions into battlefield automation.

Chariot is a core component of the Army's Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) software, which commanders are scaling up after successful tests. The platform uses AI agents to ingest data from radios, reports, sensors and drones, then assess whether objects are military vehicles or tanks, check them against legal standards and commander priorities, and recommend next steps.

"It does everything that a team of four to 10 individuals would do over a period of about an hour; it compresses that down into minutes," Striveworks CEO and cofounder Jim Rebesco told Business Insider. He said soldiers across specialties - logistics, artillery and others - have been using the system for different tasks.

Soldiers at the Army's 4th Infantry Division used Chariot during the Project Convergence Capstone 6 exercise at Fort Irwin, California, where it helped analysts process more potential targets than normal. Rebesco said feedback from those exercises was quickly incorporated to improve accuracy and speed.

After Project Convergence, the Army decided to push NGC2 to I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. Next steps include making the technology available to more soldiers and hardening it for harsh, dispersed environments, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

Chariot also integrates with other military systems such as Maven and the Integrated Battle Command System. The Pentagon and military services are spending billions on AI to speed decisions, analyse sensor data and predict shortages. Former Army secretary Dan Driscoll said after the July exercise: "The side that can sense a target, process the data, and deliver a kinetic effect the fastest wins."

Analysis

Why This Matters

AI is transforming how the US military processes intelligence and selects targets, potentially shortening the "kill chain" from hours to minutes.
The $700 million investment signals that battlefield AI is moving from trials to widespread deployment, affecting doctrine and future conflicts.
Competition with China and Russia in military AI makes such programmes a national security priority.

Background

The Pentagon has made AI a centrepiece of modernisation efforts, funding tools for everything from predictive maintenance to combat planning. The Army's NGC2 software is designed to replace older command-and-control systems with a networked, AI-assisted platform. Striveworks, a Texas-based company, has been developing Chariot since before the current contract, and it has been tested in exercises including Project Convergence, the Army's flagship experimentation series.

Key Perspectives

US Army/Department of Defence: The investment reflects its stated goal of moving faster than adversaries in data processing and decision-making. Officials argue speed in targeting is decisive. Striveworks: The company positions Chariot as a flexible hub that adapts to different military roles, compressing work that would otherwise require a team of analysts. Soldiers (as described in the source): Users at the 4th Infantry Division provided feedback that was rapidly incorporated, suggesting the system is designed to evolve with battlefield needs.

What to Watch

Scaling of NGC2 and Chariot to I Corps and whether it meets performance goals in the Indo-Pacific environment.
Feedback from soldiers as more units receive the system, potentially revealing limitations or ethical concerns.
Further Pentagon contracts for similar AI targeting systems as rival companies seek to compete.

Sources

The US Army is making a new $700 million bet on AI that helps soldiers turn battlefield intelligence into targets · All Content from Business Insider

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedRebesco said Chariot does the work of a team of four to 10 people in about an hour and compresses it into minutes.All Content from Business Insider: “It does everything that a team of four to 10 individuals would do over a period of about an hour; it compresses that down into minutes,”
SupportedFormer Army secretary Dan Driscoll said the side that senses a target, processes the data and delivers a kinetic effect fastest wins.All Content from Business Insider: “The side that can sense a target, process the data, and deliver a kinetic effect the fastest wins.”
SupportedThe Army’s $700 million deal with Striveworks is a tenfold increase from its initial enterprise contract.All Content from Business Insider: “The $700 million deal between the Army and Striveworks is a tenfold increase from the initial enterprise contract”
Partly supportedThe Army signed the deal.All Content from Business Insider: “On Thursday, Striveworks announced the expanded agreement after months of growing demand for Chariot.”
SupportedThe expanded agreement was announced Thursday.All Content from Business Insider: “On Thursday, Striveworks announced the expanded agreement after months of growing demand for Chariot.”
SupportedChariot is a core component of the Army’s NGC2 command-and-control software.All Content from Business Insider: “Striveworks' Chariot program is a core AI component of the Army's new NGC2 battlefield software.”
Partly supportedChariot compresses hours of analysis into minutes.All Content from Business Insider: “It does everything that a team of four to 10 individuals would do over a period of about an hour; it compresses that down into minutes,”
Partly supportedCommanders are scaling up NGC2 after successful tests.All Content from Business Insider: “After Project Convergence Capstone, the Army decided to transition NGC2 into the next phase of scaling, pushing it to I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.”
SupportedChariot’s AI agents process radio, report, sensor and drone data, assess potential targets against legal standards and commander priorities, and provide next steps.All Content from Business Insider: “Those folks are constantly receiving this data coming in from radio, reports, from sensors, from drones,”
Partly supportedAt Project Convergence Capstone 6, Chariot helped 4th Infantry Division soldiers at Fort Irwin process more potential targets than normal.All Content from Business Insider: “At Project Convergence Capstone 6 at Fort Irwin, California, Chariot helped soldiers analyze and process more potential targets.”
SupportedAfter Project Convergence Capstone, the Army decided to push NGC2 to I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.All Content from Business Insider: “After Project Convergence Capstone, the Army decided to transition NGC2 into the next phase of scaling, pushing it to I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.”
Partly supportedThe Pentagon and military services are spending billions on AI for battlefield automation.All Content from Business Insider: “The Pentagon and the different military services are spending billions on AI to speed up battlefield decisions, analyze vast amounts of sensor data, and anticipate ammunition shortages and maintenance needs.”