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Contracts · Ground vehicles

General Dynamics teams with AI startup Primordial on voice control for combat vehicles

The master teaming agreement targets the Abrams and next-generation vehicles. The announcement names no Army order or value for the work.

General Dynamics Land Systems and Primordial Labs announced a master teaming agreement on Wednesday, Oct. 7, to bring natural language command and control to ground combat vehicles.1 Primordial's Anura software, which Breaking Defense described as AI voice control, lets crews direct sensors, displays, communications and uncrewed systems by stating what they want done, instead of working through menus and dedicated operator stations.1–2

GDLS partnered with Primordial Labs to bring AI voice control to its combat vehicles

a master teaming agreement on Oct. 7, 2026

Primordial LabsNatural Language Command and Control (NLC2) software
will expand the integration of Anuraplanned
General Dynamics Land Systemscombat vehicle design and integration
General Dynamics Land Systemscombat vehicle design and integration
natural language command and controlplanned
ground combat vehiclesplatforms such as the Abrams tank

Anura is not installed on the current XM30 prototypes in Army testing; GDLS aims to offer it on future upgrades to XM30 and to the M1 tank and Stryker

General Dynamics Land Systems release, Oct. 7, 2026. AI voice control and XM30 details reported by Breaking Defense, Oct. 7, 2026.

Sources
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Land Systems ties the software to smaller crews. Keith Barclay, its general manager of U.S. operations, called natural-language control "a critical enabler of greater lethality with a smaller crew size."1 Breaking Defense reported the XM30 program, which Land Systems is competing for against American Rheinmetall, calls for two soldiers in the crew instead of the three on today's M2 Bradley. Anura isn't on the XM30 prototypes now in Army testing, but Land Systems aims to offer it on future upgrades to XM30, the M1 and Stryker, strategy director Geoff Norman told the outlet.2

The software won't be able to fire a vehicle's weapons, the companies told Breaking Defense. Norman said the chosen tasks, such as switching radio nets, sending reports and adjusting camera views, are "easy to verify and validate for a safety case."2 Anura doesn't use generative AI, Primordial chief executive Lee Ritholtz told the outlet.1–2 The startup, best known for small-drone demonstrations, is also working on AI assistance for Army helicopter crews, according to Breaking Defense.2

An Army upgrade award for XM30, the M1 or Stryker that includes Anura would show Army money behind this agreement, on the route Norman told Breaking Defense about.1–2

Sources (2)
  1. General Dynamics Land Systems: General Dynamics Land Systems and Primordial Labs to Bring Natural Language Control to Ground Combat Vehicles (Oct. 7, 2026) www.gdls.com
  2. Breaking Defense: General Dynamics taps Primordial to build AI assistant for combat vehicle crews (Oct. 7, 2026) breakingdefense.com
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Contracts · Combat vehicles

Army will evaluate open architecture in XM30 selection, official tells Breaking Defense

The Army’s ground maneuver acquisition chief says it is too early to tell which XM30 competitor has implemented the more open architecture, Breaking Defense reports.

The Army will evaluate open systems architecture when choosing an XM30 winner, Brig. Gen. Troy Denomy, portfolio acquisition executive for ground maneuver, told Breaking Defense in its Oct. 16 report.1

Denomy said the Army will evaluate open architecture in the selection process

XM30

open systems architecturekey criterionplanned

Army will make open systems architecture a key criterion in selecting the winner of XM30

American Rheinmetall and General Dynamics Land Systemsone XM30 prototype eachactual

Both vendors have delivered one XM30 prototype each to the Army for testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Denomy said.

Denomy said it is too early to tell which has implemented a more open architecture

Reported by Breaking Defense. As of Oct. 16, 2026.

Sources
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Denomy’s stated priority connects vehicle selection to the Army’s ability to adapt platforms quickly, particularly against drones, according to Breaking Defense. He explained that open architecture lets the Army and industry partners add new software and hardware as technology becomes available and threats change.1

The Army already described XM30 as using a modular open system architecture in its June 2023 contract announcement.2

Denomy said it was too early to tell which of the two competitors, American Rheinmetall and General Dynamics Land Systems, had implemented a more open architecture, Breaking Defense reported. Each vendor has delivered one prototype for testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Denomy said.1

Testing has identified some software capabilities the vendors need to tweak, particularly involving communication between platform subsystems, Denomy told Breaking Defense. Denomy characterized these as typical prototype adjustments and said both architectures had allowed changes to be made quickly.1

Sources (2)
  1. Breaking Defense: Open system architecture will be 'hyper important' in downselect of Army's XM30: Senior official (Oct. 16, 2026) breakingdefense.com
  2. U.S. Army: Army announces contract awards for OMFV (June 26, 2023) www.army.mil
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Contracts · Competition

Federal News Network: DISA’s decision to expand Leidos’ Defense Enclave contract draws another protest

Competitive Range Solutions argues combatant command network migration should be competed, Federal News Network reports.

Competitive Range Solutions is challenging the Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) decision to expand Leidos’ $11 billion Defense Enclave Services contract, Federal News Network reports. The disputed expansion would add combatant command network migration.2

Federal News Network: DISA’s Leidos expansion faces another protest

Defense Enclave Services contract | Disputed combatant command network migration

Leidos’ existing contractProposed route for the additional work
combatant command network migrationWork the challenger argues should have been competed
Case Currently OpenCompetitive Range Solutions protest status

The protest challenges the decision to add the migration work to Leidos’ existing contract.

Reported by Federal News Network, October 16, 2026; Government Accountability Office, case B-424640.2. As of October 17, 2026.

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The company argues DISA should have competed the work and alleges inadequate advance planning and unreasonable bundling.2

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) lists Competitive Range Solutions, LLC’s protest against DISA as open.1

Federal News Network reports that DISA renewed its effort to give Leidos the work without competition following an earlier protest by General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) in July. GDIT argued that DISA should have competed the requirement to migrate 11 combatant commands. That protest was dismissed after DISA said it would conduct new market research, make a new acquisition approach decision and develop a new acquisition plan.2

DISA gave industry several days to respond to its first sources sought notice and 24 hours for the second, the outlet reports.2

Federal News Network reports that in its latest justification for the noncompetitive modification, DISA argues Leidos is uniquely qualified because of its embedded and specialized knowledge of the DoDNet architecture. DISA has been directed to transition all combatant commands’ common-use IT services to DoDNet by the end of fiscal 2028.2

Sources (2)
  1. GAO bid protest docket, Competitive Range Solutions, LLC (B-424640.2) www.gao.gov
  2. Federal News Network: DISA faces another protest over Enclave contract expansion federalnewsnetwork.com
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