Palantir Says NATO AI Platform Cannot Be Shut Down Remotely

WHO:

Euronews.com - Palantir executive vice president for the UK and Europe Louis Mosley said neither Palantir nor the US government could switch off the company’s Maven Smart System platform used by NATO.

Euronews.com - NATO and several European armed forces use Palantir’s military AI system; NATO’s Allied Command Operations at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) has deployed Maven.

Euronews.com - Kyiv accused Washington of deliberately slowing Starshield, the SpaceX-operated military communications system used by Ukrainian forces, and SpaceX’s civilian Starlink network.

Euronews.com - Elon Musk said on X that “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.”

Euronews.com - US President Donald Trump said, “it wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon. I don’t know if it was anybody. From what I understand, it’s the same as it’s always been.”

Euronews.com - Germany and France are among the European NATO members that opted out of Maven. German Vice Admiral Thomas Daum said, “Allowing industry personnel access to national German datasets is out of the question.”

WHAT:

Euronews.com - Palantir said customers that buy its software have “full operational control”; Mosley said, “There are no kill switches. There’s no ability for Palantir or the US government to reach in and switch it off.”

Euronews.com - Palantir won a €480 million NATO tender to supply Maven. The system achieved “full technical operational capability” at SHAPE.

Euronews.com - France developed its own service, Arcadia, to build a national defence data ecosystem and maintain technological sovereignty.

Techmeme - A Reuters report by Andrew Gray likewise said Palantir and the US government have no “kill switch” for Maven, following Ukraine’s Starlink disruptions.

WHERE:

Euronews.com - Mosley gave his interview in Brussels. Maven is deployed at NATO’s SHAPE.

WHY:

Euronews.com - Palantir sought to reassure European allies after disruptions to Ukraine’s Starlink and Starshield services raised concerns about reliance on US technology.

Euronews.com - European leaders are concerned that the Trump administration could use technology on which Europe relies as political leverage; France and Germany cited concerns about control and access to national data.

HOW:

Euronews.com - Maven uses AI to process large volumes of battlefield data from satellites, radar, drones and other sensors to accelerate decision-making.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 20:22 UTC)

Palantir says neither the company nor the US government can switch off Maven, its military AI system now deployed at NATO headquarters in Europe. In Brussels, executive vice president Louis Mosley said customers retain full operational control and there is no “kill switch.” The reassurance follows Ukraine’s accusations that Washington deliberately slowed Starshield, a military communications service, and civilian Starlink. Elon Musk said the US government controls Starshield, with limits set by the US military and ultimately the president; President Trump said he did not know of any change and believed service was operating as usual. Palantir won a €480 million NATO contract for Maven, which processes battlefield data from satellites, radar, drones and other sensors. But Germany and France opted out: Germany objected to industry access to national data, while France built its own Arcadia system to safeguard technological sovereignty.