Helsing launches Clarity military targeting software to rival Palantir

In short: German defence tech start-up Helsing has launched Clarity, a military intelligence and targeting platform positioned as a European alternative to Palantir’s military software.

What happened

Helsing, a Munich-based start-up, unveiled a product called Clarity. The company says Clarity uses AI (computer software that can spot patterns and make suggestions) to help militaries combine information and identify possible targets.

The launch comes as several European governments look for local alternatives to US defence technology. Palantir, a US company, sells a system known as Maven Smart System, which the Financial Times reports is widely used by the US military and has also been bought by Nato.

According to the report, officials in countries such as France and Germany have been cautious about using Palantir’s system at a national level, and some other countries are exploring alternatives. A senior German military official told the FT that Helsing, and another Berlin company called Orcrist, are among a small group expected to get an initial contract to trial their systems with Germany’s armed forces in the coming weeks.

Helsing co-founder Gundbert Scherf said European countries need “sovereign” capability, meaning software they can control themselves. Helsing said it has tested Clarity in Ukraine and that it built the platform using a mix of open and commercial data, plus data from military training exercises.

Why it matters

Software like this can speed up decisions in war by turning many incoming data feeds, like satellite and radar information, into suggested actions (like having a smart assistant sort a huge pile of reports and highlight what looks urgent). That speed raises ethical and safety concerns, since faster targeting can also mean less time for human checks.

Source: Financial Times