# Defense Leaders Examine Battlefield Agentic AI

A Breaking Defense article argues that agentic AI could help U.S. forces adapt software more quickly to changing battlefield threats, while keeping human authority over high-consequence decisions. It points toward mission-specific capabilities, rapid prototyping, and continuous development on classified networks rather than long, fixed software acquisition cycles. The article identifies no solicitation, award, funding amount, or procurement contact, so it signals a potential acquisition direction rather than a current bidding opportunity.

- Contractors developing defense software can assess whether their capabilities support rapid prototyping and ongoing adaptation on classified networks, while preserving human control of consequential decisions.
- Procurement teams may need acquisition approaches that accommodate iterative development if these capabilities move toward adoption; the signal does not identify a specific requirement or procurement timeline.
- Garrett Berntsen of Accenture Federal Services describes an ecosystem approach involving commercial models, defense-grade security, domain knowledge, and engineers working alongside operators.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity
**Published:** November 09, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
- Department of Defense Cyber Defense Command

### Vendors
- Accenture Federal Services ()

### Key Quotes
> We need an ecosystem approach – taking commercial frontier models, wrapping them in defense-grade security and domain-specific knowledge, and embedding engineers alongside operators to continuously evolve the solutions.
> — Garrett Berntsen, Chief AI Officer, Accenture Federal Services

### Sources
- [The next breakthrough is software built on the battlefield by agentic bots - Breaking Defense](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/11/the-next-breakthrough-is-software-built-on-the-battlefield-by-agentic-bots) - Breaking Defense