The UK Ministry of Defence has paid US company Palantir $247 million more than the value of the published contracts, according to the Financial Times (FT), which has analysed official documents.
According to the newspaper, for the decade ending in March 2026, the Ministry of Defence published contracts with Palantir worth $128 million, but the actual cost was $375 million. The discrepancy is partly explained by at least one contract, the details of which were withheld for national security reasons. The FT notes that more than 80% of the payments were for contracts awarded without competitive bidding. In December, the MoD announced a three-year contract with Palantir worth $320 million, which was not put out to tender. The ministry said it did not consider competing offers because "only Palantir has sufficient expertise" to support its analytical capabilities.
The publication notes that there are concerns about the UK's reliance on foreign suppliers, in particular Palantir, which has been criticised for its links to US President Donald Trump's administration and the US defence sector.