Pentagon formalises AI partnerships with seven tech giants while Anthropic remains excluded from classified networks

The US Department of Defense has formalised agreements with seven major artificial intelligence companies to deploy their systems on the Pentagon's secure classified networks. The approved firms include OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, NVIDIA, SpaceX, and Reflection. These partnerships allow the integration of advanced AI capabilities onto Impact Levels 6 and 7 networks, which are authorised to handle information up to the secret classification level.

The primary objective of these deployments is to enhance defence capabilities while maintaining strict security controls. Department officials state that the new tools will facilitate lawful operational use, aiming to reduce the time required to complete certain tasks from months to days. This expansion is intended to provide warfighters with the necessary tools to act with confidence and safeguard the nation against emerging threats.

Notably, the agreements exclude Anthropic, the developer of the Claude AI assistant. The company remains barred from these contracts due to ongoing concerns regarding supply-chain risks and safety restrictions on military use. The Pentagon and its contractors previously labelled Anthropic a supply-chain risk earlier this year following a dispute over the safety protocols required for its systems to operate within the military environment.

Despite the exclusion from the new vendor list, the Pentagon's existing AI platform, GenAI.mil, has seen significant uptake. Since its launch five months ago, over 1.3 million Defence Department personnel have utilised the system. Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael noted that the platform has successfully cut many operational tasks from months to days, though he characterised Anthropic's Mythos AI model as a "separate national security moment" distinct from general supply-chain risk classifications.

Recent diplomatic efforts suggest a potential shift in the administration's stance towards Anthropic. CEO Dario Amodei met with senior Trump administration officials at the White House earlier this month to discuss the Mythos model, a meeting both sides described as productive. President Donald Trump has publicly stated that Anthropic is "shaping up" in the eyes of the administration, raising the possibility of a future reversal of the company's blacklisting status.

However, no confirmed timeline or official policy change currently indicates that Anthropic will be reinstated to the approved vendor list in the immediate future. While the current contracts proceed with the seven approved firms, the status of Anthropic remains unresolved, leaving the company outside the Pentagon's immediate procurement landscape for classified network access.