German army excludes US tech firm Palantir from cloud project over data security concerns

The German army, Bundeswehr, has excluded US tech firm Palantir from its planned independent cloud infrastructure project for military data processing and artificial intelligence applications, citing data security concerns.

The project aims to develop specialized software capable of analyzing diverse datasets to support target identification and provide strategic battlefield recommendations, a capability Palantir offers globally.

German military officials say full control over sensitive data must remain strictly within the armed forces.

Vice Admiral Thomas Daum, inspector of the Bundeswehr’s cyber and information domain, said that although Palantir supplies software to NATO, such cooperation is not viewed favorably for Germany’s national defense, according to an interview with Handelsblatt.

Daum added that operating Palantir systems through the company’s own personnel would pose a security risk, regardless of the software’s capabilities, describing the prospect as “out of the question.”

Germany has narrowed its evaluation process for defense technology independence to three firms out of about 20 applicants.

French firm Chapvision, Stuttgart-based Almato, and Berlin-based Orcrist have been shortlisted.

Software developed by these companies will undergo rigorous operational testing by the Bundeswehr this summer, with a final tender decision and contracting expected by the end of the year.

Palantir officials have said their systems are air-gapped and fully offline, posing no risk of external interference, while warning that Germany’s exclusion from the Maven software ecosystem widely used across NATO could complicate interoperability with allies.

German officials rejected those claims, stating that domestically developed systems can remain fully compatible with NATO frameworks through seamless integration.

The decision follows controversy surrounding Palantir’s recent “manifesto,” described by German media as “the ramblings of a supervillain” due to its radical tone.

That document further eroded trust among the German public and data protection experts, amid longstanding concerns over the firm’s ties to Washington and the CIA.

Experts in Germany warn that sensitive data handled by Palantir could potentially be accessed by US intelligence agencies, reinforcing the Bundeswehr’s decision to pursue national and European alternatives for its digital defense infrastructure.

*Writing by Emir Yildirim in Istanbul