The Frontier

Henry Trix outlines the rise of the 'neoprimes' - Palantir, SpaceX, and Anduril - as tech-led defense contractors leveraging software, satellites, and drones to win government contracts by offering cheaper, nimbler weapons.

Major contracts for neoprimes include Palantir's Project Maven program-of-record status, Anduril's consolidated army contract potentially worth $20 billion over 10 years, and a Pentagon AI strategy launch at SpaceX.

Political ties risk bipartisanship, as Donald Trump defended Palantir against short sellers and his son is a venture partner at 1789 Capital, which invests in Anduril.

Neoprimes advocate for military AI use, with Palantir using Anthropic models for classified work, Anduril embedding AI in autonomous weapons, and SpaceX acquiring Elon Musk's XAI lab.