The Pentagon told senior leaders that its use of Anthropic’s AI tools may continue beyond a previously announced six-month phase-out if deemed critical to national security.
The disclosure was made in an internal memo dated March 6 and signed by Pentagon chief information officer Kirsten Davies.
The memo allows exemptions in “rare and extraordinary circumstances,” saying they will only be considered for mission-critical activities supporting national security operations where no viable alternative exists.
It also requires any Pentagon unit seeking an exemption to submit a comprehensive risk mitigation plan for approval.
It ordered officials to prioritize removing Anthropic products from systems supporting critical missions such as nuclear weapons and ballistic missile defense, and reaffirmed the ban covers defense contractors.
Contracting officers had 30 days to notify contractors, who must certify full compliance by the 180-day deadline.
Originally written by: Aiko Gao Ishida
Source: Tech In Asia
Published on: 12 March 2026
Link to original article: Pentagon may extend use of Anthropic, memo says
