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| Private enterprise and hi-tech penetrate the fog of war in Ukraine, but Russian Government struggles. By David Ignatius. |
Ukraine put together an ad-hoc C3 system using Palantir C2 software and satellite links as the Russians destroyed terrestrial infrastructure. Underpinning these systems is a mesh network of broadband connections from SpaceX’s Starlink, led by Elon Musk. The system, provided by approximately 2,500 satellites, allows Ukrainian troops to quickly upload local information and download target information, allowing them to locate, attack, and destroy enemy forces.chain kill” can be built. It also includes SpaceX’s Starlink terminals and Tesla’s generators and batteries.Powerwall systemalso plays an important role in securing communications in Ukraine which has power.
Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir, told Ignatius, “The power of advanced algorithmic warfare systems will be great against an enemy with only conventional weapons.tactical nuclear weaponIt has become so great that it is similar to the difference in strength. The public tends to underestimate this, but our enemies know this all too well.”
At this point, Ukrainian soldiers who are actually fighting are of the same opinion. “For us, this system is a matter of life or death,” said Stepan, a military officer from Ukraine who gave a demonstration to David Ignatius, speaking under a pseudonym for security reasons. Mr Stepan designed software for a retail company before the war, but now aims to ‘maximize target acquisition’ for soldiers rather than shoppers.
The market for battlefield intelligence
Here's a column from the Washington Post, which (although it reads partly like an ad from Palantir) emphasizes that real time battlefield data can be acquired from a variety of commercial sources:
How the algorithm tipped the balance in Ukraine, By David Ignatius
"The “kill chain” that I saw demonstrated in Kyiv is replicated on a vast scale by Ukraine’s NATO partners from a command post outside the country. The system is built around the same software platform developed by Palantir that I saw in Kyiv, which can allow the United States and its allies to share information from diverse sources — ranging from commercial satellite imagery to the West’s most secret intelligence tools.
"What makes this system truly revolutionary is that it aggregates data from commercial vendors. Using a Palantir tool called MetaConstellation, Ukraine and its allies can see what commercial data is currently available about a given battle space. The available data includes a surprisingly wide array, from traditional optical pictures to synthetic aperture radar that can see through clouds, to thermal images that can detect artillery or missile fire.
"To check out the range of available data, just visit the internet. Companies selling optical and synthetic aperture radar imagery include Maxar, Airbus, ICEYE and Capella. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sells simple thermal imaging meant to detect fires but that can also register artillery explosions.
"In our Kherson example, Palantir assesses that roughly 40 commercial satellites will pass over the area in a 24-hour period. Palantir normally uses fewer than a dozen commercial satellite vendors, but it can expand that range to draw imagery from a total of 306 commercial satellites that can focus to 3.3 meters. Soldiers in battle can use handheld tablets to request more coverage if they need it. According to a British official, Western military and intelligence services work closely with Ukrainians on the ground to facilitate this sharing of information.
"A final essential link in this system is the mesh of broadband connectivity provided from overhead by Starlink’s array of roughly 2,500 satellites in low-earth orbit. The system, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, allows Ukrainian soldiers who want to upload intelligence or download targeting information to do so quickly."
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