Army’s AI command push: onebrief slashes planning time as $2.9b NGC2 goes all-in on speed and scale

The Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) program is a bold $2.9 billion initiative in fiscal year 2026, aiming to achieve decision dominance by unifying all battlefield sensors and shooters into a seamless AI-driven data ecosystem. By replacing fragmented legacy systems with a common operational picture that fuses data from satellites, drones, and ground sensors, NGC2 empowers commanders to compress targeting cycles from hours to mere seconds, dramatically accelerating battlefield decision-making.

Central to NGC2’s architecture is a cutting-edge edge-to-cloud data mesh that integrates Palantir’s Foundry platform as the cloud data layer with Anduril’s Lattice platform managing the tactical edge. This collaboration ensures continuous, resilient data flow even in disconnected environments, exemplifying the Army’s strategic pivot towards blending traditional defense giants like Lockheed Martin with disruptive tech firms to foster rapid prototyping and innovation.

Reflecting the urgency to maintain information processing superiority against peer adversaries, the Army has set an aggressive timeline to deploy NGC2 capabilities across all 11 active divisions within five years—a breakneck pace for military acquisitions. This rapid rollout underscores the critical nature of AI-enhanced command and control in modern warfare, with Anduril securing nearly $100 million alongside Palantir to accelerate prototyping efforts in tandem with Lockheed Martin’s work with the 25th Infantry Division.

Palantir, Anduril, and Lockheed Martin are forging a seamless data mesh that keeps battlefield information flowing—even when networks break—marking a radical shift in military-tech partnerships.

By mid-2026, Onebrief had revolutionized division-level operational planning within the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) environment by compressing complex planning cycles from hours to as few as 30 minutes, even under low-bandwidth conditions. This dramatic acceleration enabled the 4th Infantry Division to scale operations seamlessly from battalion to division level, demonstrating Onebrief’s capability to enhance operational efficiency across diverse command posts.

Onebrief’s integration with partner systems has been pivotal in unifying distributed teams and synchronizing warfighting functions, transforming static briefings into interactive, collaborative planning sessions. During high-profile exercises such as IVY STING and IVY MASS, this shift replaced traditional, static briefings with dynamic tools that significantly improved real-time coordination and operational effectiveness, showcasing the platform’s role in fostering agile, connected command environments.

As a foundational AI-powered workflow platform within the NGC2 framework, Onebrief has secured formal authorization for military use and continues to evolve through continuous user feedback and on-site support. This ongoing development ensures that Onebrief remains at the cutting edge of secure, scalable command and control solutions, solidifying its position as a critical enabler of modern operational planning and execution.

Onebrief has demonstrably transformed Army division-level operational planning by slashing cycle times from roughly three hours to just 30-40 minutes, even under challenging low-bandwidth and degraded command post conditions, as evidenced during the 4th Infantry Division's IVY STING exercises. This operational leap was underpinned by rigorous cybersecurity validation, including ACAS vulnerability scans and comprehensive security testing, culminating in formal authorization to operate within the Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) system—affirming its readiness for expeditionary, distributed operations.

Functioning as the AI-powered planning layer within the Army’s NGC2 prototype, Onebrief exemplifies a sophisticated multi-vendor integration architecture by seamlessly interoperating with leading platforms such as Anduril, Palantir, and Microsoft. Rather than displacing existing systems, Onebrief connects critical domains—intelligence, fires, maneuver, sustainment, protection, and mission command—into a unified, collaborative environment that embodies the Army’s vision for data-centric, cloud-enabled multi-domain operations.

Looking ahead, Onebrief’s operational validation through exercises like IVY STING and IVY MASS has positioned it as a cornerstone for large-scale AI-assisted multi-domain command and control testing, with a pivotal role slated for Project Convergence Capstone 6 at the National Training Center. This trajectory is bolstered by robust market confidence, highlighted by a $200 million Series D funding round at a $2.15 billion valuation and strategic acquisitions such as Battle Road Digital, which expand its capabilities into wargaming—further cementing Onebrief’s influence in modernizing AI-driven command and control.