U.S. Navy Selects Applied Intuition to Field AI Perception Capability Across Destroyer Fleet

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Applied Intuition, Inc., the leading physical AI company, today announced it has been awarded a first-of-its-kind production contract by the U.S. Navy to deploy AI data infrastructure across the manned and unmanned fleet.

The company will scale its Data Engine solution—establishing onboard AI-powered perception capabilities, fleet-wide data collection and offboard data infrastructure—across the fleet. Its Intelligent Perception System (IPS) will be the first fleet-scale capability deployed, starting with five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers under the DPRM Robotic and Autonomous Systems and PAE Mission Systems initiative.

Building on the successful Data Edge Collection Kit (DECK) prototyping program, which established the Navy’s first large-scale computer vision data collection infrastructure, IPS closes the loop by deploying AI directly to the fleet while establishing the onboard and offboard data infrastructure to rapidly develop, deploy and update new models as threats evolve.

The DECK prototype demonstrated that ships can be data fuel by collecting thousands of hours of useful data for model training. Applied Intuition’s Data Engine now proves ships can be AI platforms, running production-grade models that augment sailor decision-making in real time. IPS enables sailors to see a complete fused picture of passive and active navigation sensors and brings real-time automated target recognition to bridge watchstanders. The progression from DECK to IPS establishes a template for how the Navy’s Warfighting Data Ecosystem can accelerate from data infrastructure to operational capability at the velocity required for modern naval warfare.

“Today’s surface warfare picture depends on brittle manual processes, and data is siloed across networks and paper logs. Applied Intuition’s Data Engine establishes an operating system for AI on warships that enables the Navy to rapidly deploy new perception models as threats evolve,” said Peter Ludwig, co-founder and chief technology officer of Applied Intuition. “IPS is the first capability sailors will see, built on an underlying platform that lets the Navy move at software speed. This initiative represents a fundamental shift in how the Department of War develops and fields AI capabilities.”

Applied Intuition’s Data Engine infrastructure approach solves a critical challenge in software-defined warfare: The Navy’s ability to adapt must exceed adversaries’ ability to counter. One-off systems cannot achieve this speed. Applied Intuition’s Data Engine solution is adapted to the Navy’s unique requirements from commercial, production autonomy technology.

Powered by Applied Intuition’s Acuity perception platform, IPS performs real-time detection, tracking and classification using shipboard cameras and infrared sensors, presents operators with visual overlays and automated alerts for vessels on dangerous trajectories, and continues collecting operational data to improve model performance. Over-the-air software updates enable deployed AI models to evolve continuously without requiring ships to return to port.

IPS also manages limited satellite bandwidth for data sharing and creates persistent, machine-readable records of surface contacts for pattern-of-life analysis and fleet-wide intelligence sharing, replacing manual transcription from paper logs. The system presents an integrated display showing detected vessels, classifications, and predicted trajectories, providing the bridge and combat information center with continuous situational awareness.

Critically, the same infrastructure delivering IPS enables rapid deployment of future AI capabilities. Onboard compute, sensor integration, data pipelines and over-the-air mechanisms are reusable across any perception or detection model, transforming AI deployment from bespoke integration efforts into software updates that enable the Navy to respond to emerging threats at operational speed.

About Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition is building the technology to make a billion machines intelligent. Founded in 2017, the Silicon Valley company powers physical AI in the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries. Applied Intuition is based in Sunnyvale, California, with nearly two dozen offices around the world, including London, Munich, Tokyo, Seoul and the Washington, D.C., metro area. Learn more at applied.co, or email press@applied.co.