U.S. Army adopts TurbineOne AI system to detect battlefield threats

The U.S. Army has signed a contract worth more than $99 million with TurbineOne, a four-year-old startup, to deliver artificial intelligence software designed for frontline use. The system is already being deployed in infantry and cavalry units.

TurbineOne processes massive data streams locally, without cloud connectivity, enabling soldiers to detect drone launches, hidden troop positions, and other threats in seconds. Military officials say the AI reduces analysis time from 20 hours to just 20 seconds.

“Speed of information processing has become critical in modern conflicts,” U.S. Army representatives said.

One of the system’s key advantages is its ability to operate under signal jamming and without GPS — a lesson drawn from the war in Ukraine, where radio or mobile signals exposed troops to enemy strikes.

Unlike traditional defense contractors, TurbineOne entered the Pentagon’s supply chain thanks to a new Defense Department policy emphasizing commercial AI and drone technologies over costly outdated weapons.

The software integrates with large language models from OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Google, giving U.S. forces a 10–25× edge in decision-making speed on the battlefield.