After rapid experimentation, the Army is rationalizing its AI, big data, and networks to better support troops and commands.
The Army is streamlining its use of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and networks to better support operational units and theater commands, according to the service’s chief data and analytics officer. A key focus is using these technologies to support Northern Command in securing the border, a priority for the Trump administration.
Refining AI Use on the Border
“We’ve really evolved with operations on the border,” Army CDAO David Markowitz told Breaking Defense.
Overcoming the Joint Command Challenge
Markowitz acknowledged that Northern Command, being a joint headquarters, presents challenges due to different technology, data, and legal authorities compared to the Army. However, coordination has improved, largely because both organizations leverage AI software from Palantir. The Army uses Army Vantage (the Army Data Platform), while NORTHCOM uses Maven Smart System, a widely adopted offshoot of the military intelligence AI, Project Maven.
Bridging Data Gaps: Vantage Feeds Maven
“Maven Smart is being used at the joint level by US NORTHCOM, and it integrates things the Army could never legally have access to, like law enforcement data, Homeland Security information, things we can’t touch, but by their joint command [authorities], with their relationships, they can,” Markowitz explained.
Army Vantage, on the other hand, provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on Army readiness, including personnel, training, equipment, and supplies data. To improve data sharing, “We’ve made it so that data flows from [Vantage] into that Maven Smart instance,” Markowitz said. This integration provides users with „the same tools, the same identity, the same access to data” as they move between systems.
The Importance of Identity Management
“Identity” is critical for verifying users and controlling data access. As the military connects previously separate networks and moves to a zero trust security model, “identity management” becomes increasingly important.
A Centralized Data Operations Center
The Army network is now focusing on both „transport” (moving data) and services like identity management. To support this, Lt. Gen. Jeth Rey (G-6) is working with Army Cyber Command and Network Command to create a centralized “data operations center.”
Echeloned Support: Pushing Tech Expertise Down to Tactical Units
The Army is also deploying more technical support soldiers to tactical units, starting with the 4th Infantry Division, the testbed for the Next Generation Command & Control network. “NETCOM has already put soldiers with 4th ID … so they understand the tools that 4th ID is starting to [use] and will be the back end to run them,” Markowitz said.
NETCOM will function as a centralized „call center,” ensuring „everything’s up, data is flowing,” allowing divisions and corps to focus on their missions. This structure is known as „echeloned support.”
Pruning the Innovation Sprawl
The reform will also involve consolidating the various bottom-up innovations across the Army into a more manageable number of systems. “A lot of locally command driven initiatives have created a little bit of sprawl,” Markowitz noted.
Cutting Duplication and Confusion
Duplicative data analytics have driven up Vantage usage and costs, while the proliferation of multiple tools has confused users about which source is authoritative. This streamlining effort aims to address these inefficiencies.
