It’s an unexpected answer from the CEO of a company that builds AI-powered autonomous drone and robotic systems for military and security missions. But Shapira told Benzinga via email that Palantir would strengthen the part of the battlefield AI stack that XTEND doesn’t own: turning mission data into battlefield decisions.
He sees the combination as a natural fit because XTEND’s autonomous drones and robots generate operational data in the field, while Palantir specializes in turning that data into actionable intelligence for commanders.
Why Palantir Stood Out
Shapira acknowledged that Nvidia, OpenAI, SpaceX and Palantir all play important roles in the rapidly evolving defense technology ecosystem. But he singled out Palantir because of how the two companies’ technologies could complement one another.
At the center of XTEND’s platform is XOS, the software operating system that powers its autonomous drones and robotic systems during live missions.
“Our XOS is the operating system that runs the hardware in the field,” Shapira said. “It’s the layer that generates the operational data as those missions get carried out.”
Palantir, by comparison, “builds the layer that fuses that data into a decision,” he said. Deeper integration, he argues, would “shorten the path from a mission generating data to a commander acting on it.”
Rather than overlapping, Shapira described the companies as operating at different points in the military AI workflow—XTEND executing missions in the field and Palantir transforming mission data into real-time operational intelligence.
A Different View of the AI Stack
The answer also highlights how defense AI differs from consumer AI.
Much of the public conversation centers on foundation models from companies like OpenAI or the GPUs powering them through Nvidia. Shapira, however, says battlefield autonomy depends on far more than compute.
The execution layer—where autonomous systems navigate GPS-denied environments and operate with limited communications—relies on specialized autonomy software running locally at the edge rather than general-purpose cloud models.
In that architecture, data generated by autonomous systems becomes just as important as the AI models themselves.
The Bigger Picture
Shapira’s answer underscores a broader shift taking place across defense technology.
Instead of one company providing every piece of the AI stack, the future is increasingly built around specialized platforms working together—from Nvidia supplying compute, to XTEND operating autonomous systems, to Palantir turning battlefield information into command decisions.
“Collaboration is key in the defense space,” Shapira said, pointing to increasingly complex threats that require integrated solutions rather than standalone technologies. For XTEND, that makes Palantir the partner that could create the clearest strategic advantage.
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