Anduril awarded contract to expand US Army’s next-gen battlefield command system

The Army awarded Anduril Industries a contract on September 30 to help move Next Generation Command and Control, or NGC2, from experimentation into fielding. The agreement is initially worth $162.8 million and includes options that could raise its value to $1.8 billion over five years. The work matters because NGC2 is intended to connect battlefield technologies through one software foundation.

Anduril will continue developing NGC2’s common data baseline. This baseline lets sensors, weapons, devices, and applications share information without rebuilding the underlying architecture for each new system. Anduril previously helped create an NGC2 prototype for the 4th Infantry Division using its Lattice operating system. Palantir, Raft, and Striveworks also helped build the baseline.

The next major step is implementation across I Corps, which commands forces across the Indo-Pacific. Anduril and the Army will test whether the software can connect systems across long distances and degraded networks. The work follows exercises at Fort Carson, Pinon Canyon, and Fort Irwin.

The Army’s Next Generation Command and Control system is a battlefield software framework. It is designed to let technologies, weapons, sensors, devices, and applications from across the force operate on the same network. That shared foundation matters because commanders can receive and use information from many systems without treating each one as a separate island.

NGC2 relies on a common data layer, also called a common data baseline. The layer provides a shared software foundation for connecting different capabilities. Anduril previously helped develop an NGC2 prototype for the 4th Infantry Division using its Lattice operating system. Palantir, Raft, and Striveworks also helped build the baseline.

The system is intended to increase battlefield decision-making speed. It will replace the Army’s first-generation command-and-control system, which helps control fires, logistics, and airspace. After exercises at Fort Irwin, the Army said NGC2 was ready to scale, beginning with I Corps.

The Army’s initial award to Anduril is $162.8 million. Contract options could increase the total value to $1.8 billion over five years. That money supports the transition of NGC2 from experimentation to fielding, including continued work on its common data baseline and implementation across I Corps.

The testing effort has already operated at significant scale. During Project Convergence-Capstone 6 at Fort Irwin, 10,000 U.S. and allied participants, industry partners, and 90 technologies tested NGC2 software. In a separate May exercise at Fort Carson and Pinon Canyon, Anduril used more than 160 tactical edge computers, over 2,500 devices, and 40 applications.

These figures show that NGC2 is being tested as a broad network rather than a single application. The Army has moved from prototype work for the 4th Infantry Division toward implementation across I Corps. That expansion will test performance across more locations and operating conditions.

NGC2’s common data layer is a shared software foundation for battlefield systems. Instead of designing a separate underlying architecture for every sensor, application, or weapon, the Army can connect new capabilities to the same baseline. This matters because different manufacturers can contribute systems without forcing the Army to rebuild its network each time.

The article describes the layer as enabling technologies, weapons, sensors, devices, and applications to operate on one network. Anduril, Palantir, Raft, and Striveworks helped build the baseline. Anduril’s Lattice operating system supported the earlier prototype developed for the 4th Infantry Division.

In practical terms, the layer gives connected systems a shared way to exchange information. The article does not specify the exact technical data formats or interfaces used. It does show the intended result: new capabilities can be fielded on the same foundation as existing ones, while the Army tests information flow in varied environments.

The expansion changes NGC2 from a divisional prototype into a wider operational network. Anduril first helped develop the system for the 4th Infantry Division. The Army’s new award will support implementation across I Corps, which commands service members across the Indo-Pacific. That makes the software’s geographic reach much larger.

The key challenge is distance and connectivity. Technologies separated by thousands of miles will need to connect to the same network even when communications are interrupted or degraded. The Army and Anduril will observe how information moves between systems while they access the NGC2 framework in many environments.

This step will reveal whether the common data baseline works beyond controlled experiments. The effort follows operational exercises at Fort Carson, Pinon Canyon, and Fort Irwin. If implementation succeeds, the Army will have more evidence for scaling NGC2 beyond the initial division and I Corps deployments.

NGC2 must be tested under disruption because the Army plans to use it across varied battlefield environments. I Corps operates across the Indo-Pacific, where connected systems may be separated by thousands of miles. The article specifically says those systems will face interrupted or degraded connectivity. Testing under those conditions shows whether the network can still share useful information.

The Army has already used simulated cyber and electromagnetic attacks during testing. At Fort Carson and Pinon Canyon, Anduril deployed NGC2 with more than 160 tactical edge computers, over 2,500 devices, and 40 applications while navigating those simulated attacks. The exercise examined the common data layer across a substantial set of equipment.

This testing matters because a system that works only with stable communications would be less useful in difficult conditions. The article does not state specific recovery methods. It does show that the Army is evaluating information flow and network performance before scaling NGC2 across I Corps.

A military command-and-control system collects information, organizes it, and presents it so leaders and operators can decide what to do. Sensor data can help show what is happening, while the system connects that information to actions such as fires, air operations, or logistics. The article identifies these functions for the Army’s first-generation system, which NGC2 will replace.

NGC2’s key mechanism is its common data layer. It allows sensors, weapons, devices, and applications to operate on the same network. That shared foundation can move information between systems without rebuilding the architecture for every capability. The article does not describe the exact algorithms or approval steps used to turn data into individual actions.

The Army says faster sensing, data processing, and delivery of a kinetic effect provide a decisive advantage. NGC2 is being tested to determine whether information flows effectively across many systems and difficult environments. Its intended result is quicker battlefield decision-making.