Lattice shows software-controlled defense platforms

Lattice shows how defense software is moving from dashboard software into the weapon system itself. Instead of selling analysis seats for staff work, Anduril sells a common software layer that fuses camera, radar, and sensor feeds, then routes tasks across its own towers, drones, and counter drone systems. That makes software the control point for follow on hardware spend, which is why these platforms pull budget and attention far beyond a single app category.

• In practice, Lattice is the operating layer for a bundle. A tower spots something, the software classifies it, a drone is sent to inspect, and another system can be tasked to intercept. That is very different from Govini, where the user is usually an acquisition or logistics analyst working through supply chain, sourcing, or force planning decisions in a browser workflow.
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• The Army's July 18, 2025 NGC2 prototype award to Team Anduril was worth $99.6M over 11 months and called for hardware, software, and applications delivered through a common integrated data layer. That is exactly what integrated hardware software platform buying looks like in defense procurement.
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• Anduril is not the only company pushing this model. Shield AI, Quantum Systems, and Forterra are also trying to turn autonomy software into the recurring control layer that sits above fleets of vehicles. The pattern is the same, win the software brain, then attach more hardware and services around it.
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The next phase of defense competition will center on who owns the data layer and operator workflow around autonomous systems. Companies that control that layer will have the easiest path to expand from one mission into adjacent budgets, while point solutions like acquisition analytics will need to keep proving that their savings and decision speed justify separate budget lines.