IBM announced the general availability of the IBM Defense Model, a domain-specific artificial intelligence (AI) solution engineered to deliver trusted, actionable intelligence for defense and national security operations. Developed in collaboration with Janes, a global leader in open-source defense intelligence, the IBM Defense Model integrates IBM’s enterprise-grade AI technology with Janes’ authoritative defense data, enabling agencies to make faster, more precise, and confident decisions in secure, mission-critical environments.
Unlike general-purpose large language models, the IBM Defense Model is optimized for defense-specific applications and designed to operate seamlessly across air-gapped, classified, and edge environments. The solution reflects IBM’s continued focus on developing fit-for-purpose, open-source AI models and domain-tuned datasets-delivering exceptional performance, scalability, and innovation tailored to the defense sector.
Built on IBM’s Granite foundation models and deployed through IBM watsonx.ai, the Defense Model enhances mission readiness by supporting a range of use cases such as planning, reporting, and strategic analysis.
“Defense organizations need AI they can trust – solutions that deliver accurate insights without compromising security or ethics,” said Vanessa Hunt, General Manager, Technology, U.S. Federal Market for IBM. “The IBM Defense Model provides a fit-for-purpose capability that accelerates mission planning and enhances operational readiness, while reinforcing IBM‘s commitment to responsible AI.”
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Purpose-Built for Defense: Key Capabilities and Benefits
Defense-Specific Training: Trained on military doctrine and enriched with Janes’ proprietary data, the model is designed to understand defense terminology and operational context. Unlike traditional models that rely on static datasets, IBM’s approach enables dynamic interpretation of real-time, trusted intelligence—reducing hallucinations and ensuring mission relevance.
Powered by IBM’s Trusted AI Framework: These Granite models, fueled by IBM’s Trusted AI Framework, are the initial open models to achieve ISO 42001 certification for AI governance. This ensures transparency and accountability.
Secure Deployment: Operates in air-gapped and classified environments. This ensures top security and full data control.
Continuous Intelligence Updates: Integrates seamlessly with Janes’ dynamic defense intelligence feeds. This keeps the model operationally current and aware of context.
Mission-Relevant Use Cases: Supports defense tasks like mission planning, analyst reporting, document enrichment, wargaming, and simulation.
“Our collaboration with IBM brings together Janes trusted defense intelligence and IBM’s advanced AI capabilities,” said Blake Bartlett, CEO for Janes. “This model helps to ensure defense organizations can access timely, relevant insights in secured environments, helping them make informed decisions with confidence.”
Enabling a New Standard for AI in National Defense
The IBM Defense Model represents a significant step forward in bringing responsible AI innovation to the defense and intelligence community. By merging IBM’s AI governance and compute capabilities with Janes’ mission-critical data, the collaboration establishes a new standard for ethical, transparent, and high-performance AI designed to strengthen global defense operations.