Pentagon signs agreements with 7 AI companies for classified military deployment, excludes Anthropic

The Pentagon reached agreements with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Nvidia, Reflection AI, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services to deploy AI capabilities at Impact Level 6 and 7 — the secret and top-secret network environments used by U.S. military and intelligence operations. Anthropic was notably excluded from the agreements after refusing to agree to an 'any lawful use' clause in the contract. Reflection AI, a startup that raised $2 billion in October 2025 and is backed by 1789 Capital (where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner), was among the selected companies. The Pentagon has requested $54 billion for autonomous weapons development. These deals represent the largest integration of commercial AI into classified U.S. military networks to date, and Anthropic's exclusion signals a growing rift between AI safety-focused companies and national security imperatives.