Military operators will soon be able to train and adapt AI models themselves on the battlefield, following a new US military contract awarded to Raft.
The project, called Desert Sentry, will help US Central Command (CENTCOM) missions process vast amounts of data and imagery faster, giving analysts real-time tools without needing engineers or long development cycles.
The agreement was issued through the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, in partnership with CENTCOM, after Raft won a competitive evaluation hosted by the command.
AI Tools Built for Operators
Raft’s AI Mission System ([R]AIMS) is designed for direct use by operators, allowing them to train, update, and deploy computer vision models without coding or advanced technical skills.
Using a simple dashboard, users can teach the system to identify objects such as drones, ships, or vehicles across imagery and video feeds.
Beyond computer vision, the platform also supports natural language interaction, predictive mission analytics, automated reporting through speech-to-text, and AI-assisted tools that streamline tasking and geospatial analysis.
Shubhi Mishra, founder and CEO of Raft, said the company “exists to turn operators into super-operators, and that starts by putting AI creation directly in their hands.”
The new system plugs into National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Maven workflows but provides a faster way for operators to update and deploy AI models in days rather than months.
“This is how you scale intelligence across the force—by putting tools in the hands of operators and giving them the autonomy to iterate in real time,” Bhaarat Sharma, CTO at Raft, added.
