In a nutshell: France and Germany commit to developing a European data processing infrastructure as an alternative to US software Palantir to achieve digital sovereignty in defense.
France and Germany aim to build European sovereignty in military data processing and are examining the development of an alternative to Palantir software. The background is the endeavor of European countries to reduce their dependence on US providers.
In a joint declaration following discussions between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, both countries announced on Friday that they would examine a “European data backbone with a focus on data-centric security, artificial intelligence and cloud solutions.” Specifically, they cite France’s AI-powered platform Arcadia as an example, along with comparable German solutions.
The move follows concrete measures by both countries: France’s intelligence service announced the termination of its contract with Palantir in June and chose the French system ChapsVision instead. The German intelligence service has also already opted for ChapsVision. The French armed forces have long promoted the Arcadia platform as a counterpart to Palantir’s Maven software, which is also used by NATO. A NATO commander confirmed to Politico that there is currently no real European alternative.
For Chief Data Officers (CDOs), this initiative has regulatory and operational consequences: they must expect a reorientation of military and security authority systems in which European solutions are preferred. This affects standards for data governance, AI integration and cloud infrastructures in the defense sector. At the same time, a new regulatory trend toward enforced data localization and the exclusion of US providers from sensitive areas is becoming apparent.
Beyond the Palantir alternative, France and Germany agreed on further defense cooperation: For the MGCS project (Franco-German Main Ground Combat System) to replace Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks, a research program is being launched that includes autonomous driving, sensors and network technology on the battlefield. With Great Britain, both countries are also examining cooperation on long-range missiles with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers. In space activities, France and Germany are pursuing increased use of European launch vehicles such as Ariane 6 for military equipment.
Source: www.politico.eu · Published 17 July 2026
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