tech
March 4, 2026
The US military is still using Claude — but defense-tech clients are fleeing
As the U.S. continues its aerial attack on Iran, Anthropic models are being used for many targeting decisions.
TL;DR
- Anthropic's AI models are being used for targeting decisions in the U.S. conflict with Iran.
- Conflicting government directives exist: President Trump ordered civilian agencies to stop using Anthropic products, but the Department of Defense received a six-month wind-down period.
- The U.S. launched surprise attacks on Tehran before the directive could be fully executed, resulting in continued use of Anthropic models.
- Pentagon officials used Anthropic systems in conjunction with Palantir's Maven system for real-time targeting and prioritization.
- Defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin, are replacing Anthropic models with alternatives.
- J2 Ventures reported that 10 of its portfolio companies have stopped using Anthropic's Claude for defense use cases.
- The Secretary of Defense has pledged to designate Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, but no official steps have been taken.
- The company is being partitioned out of military tech despite its use in an active war zone.
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